A mechanistic study on the antibacterial behavior of silver doped bioceramic

Antibacterial bioceramics were successfully fabricated by adding 0.5 wt% silver to yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) and their surface antibacterial properties were investigated. Silver-containing YSZ bioceramics exhibited superior antibacterial rate against both Staphylococcus aureus (99.9%) and Escherichia coli cells (88.6%) compared with non-doped-YSZ. The antibacterial action of silver was seen to proceed through two mechanisms. The released silver ions were demonstrated to destroy bacterial cell walls and membranes. Silver also inhibited the formation of biofilms and prevented bacteria from adhering to the ceramic surface.