GMA/Ag COMPOSITE AS ANTIMICROBIAL AGENT — Proceeding B-16

Apstrakt

Silver, a precious metal used across various industries, can be released into the environment as a byproduct of industrial activities, potentially leading to environmental pollution. Consequently, removing silver from wastewater is crucial for enhancing environmental quality. Porous synthetic polymers (composites), with their high specific surface area and unique physico-chemical properties, have garnered interest as effective sorbents in environmental protection. Glycidyl methacrylate (GMA)-based composites are widely used in various applications such as sorbents (of metals, organic compounds, etc.), enzyme supports, and in biomedicine. The main objectives of this study were the synthesis, characterization, and investigation of the antimicrobial activity of a novel GMA/Ag composite. For the synthesis of the composite, GMA as the monomer, and the crosslinker trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate (TMPTMA) were used, followed by functionalization with diethylenetriamine (DETA). Silver was incorporated into the composite by sorption from 0.1 M AgNO3 solution at pH 5, and 25°C, for 24h. The synthesized composite was characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial activity of the GMA/Ag composite was assessed using the agar-well diffusion method against different microorganisms, including representatives of Gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus), yeast (Candida albicans), and fungi (Aspergillus niger). The results of antimicrobial tests indicated that the GMA/Ag composite displayed good antimicrobial activity against the analyzed microbes, and it can potentially be used for biomedical applications, in the food and pharmaceutical industries, in the treatment of wastewater, etc.

Keywords: GMA/Ag composite, FTIR, SEM, antimicrobial activity

Acknowledgment

This research was financially supported by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (Contract No. 451-03-136/2025-03/200026). This work is related to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6 – Clean water and sanitation.

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