Synthesis; characterization and antimicrobial effects of composites based on multi-substituted hydroxyapatite and silver nanoparticles

Nano hydroxyapatite doped with zinc (0.2 wt%), silver (0.25 wt%) and gold (0.025 wt%), (HAP), has been obtained by an innovative wet chemical approach, coupled with a reduction process for silver and gold. The synthesized multi-substituted nano HAP was freeze-dried and calcined at 650 °C. Nano HAP has been characterized by XRD, FTIR spectroscopy and imaging techniques: TEM, SEM and AFM. Then, nano HAP was mixed with previously synthesized silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), in the amount of 9 wt%, to give a novel material (HAP-Ag). The AgNPs were prepared by the reduction of silver nitrate with glucose in alkaline medium. TEM and UV-Vis confirmed the formation of AgNPs with an average size of 12 nm. Further, organic matrix composites were obtained from a filler made of HAP and/or HAP-Ag and a mixture of monomers (such as bis-GMA and TEG-DMA), which were polymerized at various compositions in AgNPs content up to 5.4 wt%. Antibacterial activities of these composites were investigated against several different pathogenic species: Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus cereus, and Candida albicans, using the Kirby-Bauer disk-diffusion method. Antibacterial activities are enhanced with increasing of silver content within composites. These effects clearly reveal that AgNPs can be effectively utilized in combination with multi-substituted HAP and polymeric matrix, both used as carriers, in order to improve their efficiency against various pathogenic species. These composites can be considered a promising antimicrobial material for coating of orthopedic and dental implants or used as bone cements in surgical applications.