Modification of Silver Silicate with Electron Beam for Enhanced Efficacy in Pathogens Elimination

• Grant number: 23/10462-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: April 01, 2024
• End date: March 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Chemistry - Physical-Chemistry
• Principal Investigator: Elson Longo da Silva
• Grantee: Ana Luiza de Camargo Doimo
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). São Carlos , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 25/01424-6 - Laser-Modified Silver Silicate for Immobilization in Dental Resin: Advancing 3D-Printed Antimicrobial Materials for Dentistry, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Pathogenic microorganisms, such as SARS-CoV-2, are a constant threat to human health, as they have the ability to adapt to their host, developing resistance strategies to common treatments. In addition, these microorganisms can be easily transmitted through the air, contaminated surfaces or human body fluids. Contaminated surfaces in particular, present a significant portion of new contaminations, making the development of new antimicrobial technologies imminent in the current context. However, these new technologies need to be economically viable, and thus means of enhancing the antimicrobial activity of these materials are extremely important. The main objective of this project is to synthesize and enhance the antimicrobial activity of the Ag6Si2O7 semiconductor through electron irradiation at different times, in order to obtain new metal/semiconductor interfaces. The characterization of the obtained materials will be made by multiple physical-chemical techniques, such as X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic techniques and electronic microscopy. The antimicrobial activity of these materials will be previously analyzed through tests of minimum inhibitory concentration, using the bacteria Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and the fungus Candida albicans. The antiviral activity will be evaluated through tests using the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The cytotoxicity of the material will also be evaluated through MTT tests using 3T3 cells from Swiss mice. Finally, the production of photogenerated ROS will be analyzed to evaluate the antimicrobial mechanism of the new materials.