Properties of silver-filled acrylate photopolymer layers prepared by a heterogeneous photocatalytic polymerisation reaction

As expected from the results of the silver ion release tests the acrylate photopolymer layers exhibit an antimicrobial activity. 5 µm thick photopolymer films containing between 2.5 and 7.5 wt.% of the silver-coated titanium dioxide pigment (which corresponds to a silver content between 0.03 and about 0.1 wt.%) eliminate more than 90% of E. coli within 5 h. Within 24 h the bacteria are killed completely. Under the test conditions used only the release of silver ions and not the activity of the titanium dioxide is responsible for the antimicrobial efficacy of the photopolymer layers.