A Comprehensive Approach to the SiO2/Ag Nanoparticles’ Interaction on Polyvinyl Chloride Films and the Effects of Antimicrobial Activity

Abstract

Active packaging aims to best respond against adversity by inserting nanoparticles with barrier and antimicrobial properties. Silver nanoparticles act against a broad spectrum of microorganisms, one of the most applied metallic nanoparticles in antimicrobial packaging. This work reports the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles and their application in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) films. The methodology consists of obtaining PVC films with SiO2/Ag immobilized by the casting method and available antimicrobial concentrations against Staphylococcus aureus (Gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (Gram-negative) bacteria. The effect of nanoparticle ratio on the film was verified employing 12.5, 25, and 100 µg mL−1 of SiO2/Ag, according to the JIS Z 2801:2000 test. The morphological characterization observed the SiO2/Ag particles were detected internally and superficially in all the films. Additionally, the SiO2/Ag increased concentration promotes the particles were found more preferentially on the surface. As a result, the higher value of 100 µg mL−1 SiO2/Ag decreased to 97.9% colony-forming units (CFU) for S. aureus. This result was superior to E. coli, showing only a 10% growth reduction attributed to the distinct composition of the membrane microbial. Thus, the present study could verify that an activity antimicrobial in PVC films is influenced by SiO2/Ag concentration and the ability to allow the microorganism contact.