Deposition of Ag-containing multilayer polyelectrolyte films on ultrafiltration membranes endows the membranes with anti-bacterial properties as shown below. Bacterial (E. Coli) solutions were allowed to flow through the membranes, and the filtered bacteria were subsequently cultured in broth. As can be seen, after this process there are no viable bacteria remaining on the nanoparticle-modified membrane, in stark contrast to the membrane modified only with the polyelectrolyte film. The scheme below describes the synthesis of the membranes. Anti-bacterial membranes are very attractive for their potential to avoid biofouling. This work is supported by a NSF Partnership in International Research and Education grant, and is being pursued in collaboration wth the University of Kiev-Mohyla Academy, Kiev, Ukraine.
SEM images Showing the Absence of Bacterial Growth only on Membranes Modified with Ag Nanoparticles
