houston auto show – The bioeconomy at work: researchers develop low-cost, bio-based technique to make antimicrobial paint

January 26th, 2008 · No Comments

houston auto show – Researchers at The City College of New York (CCNY) and Rice University have developed a low-cost, environmentally friendly technique for embedding antimicrobial silver nanoparticles into vegetable oil-based paints. The method, to be reported in the March issue (online January 20) of Nature Materials, could give homes and workplaces a new defense against germs by applying a fresh coat of bio-based, nanoparticle-rich paint.

Silver’s antibacterial properties have been known for thousands of years, and silver nanoparticles offer superior antibacterial activity while being non-toxic. However, coatings containing antimicrobial agents have failed commercially in the past due to their complex, multi-step preparation methods and high cost of production.

The CCNY/Rice team developed a ‘green chemistry’ approach to synthesize metal nanoparticles in common household paints in situ without using hazardous reagents and solvents. Instead the researchers extensively worked on poly-unsaturated hydrocarbon chain containing polymers/oils to devise a novel approach to nanoparticle formation that is based on biological processes, said Dr. George John, Professor of Chemistry at CCNY and lead author of the article.

Polyunsaturated hydrocarbons undergo auto-oxidation-induced cross-linking, which is similar to lipid peroxidation, the process by which fatty acids are oxidized in biological systems. During this process a variety of chemically active species called ‘free radicals’ are generated. These were used by the group as a tool to prepare metal nano-particles in situ in the oil medium.

The simplicity of the process and economics should allow the scientists to commercialize these paints as a versatile coating material for health and environmental applications, says Dr. Pulickel M. Ajayan, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Houston-based Rice University, and co-author:

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