Superabsorbent Cryogels Decorated with Silver Nanoparticles as a Novel Water Technology for Point-of-Use Disinfection

Published on September 3, 2013 03:56 by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Technology

Contaminated water is a major problem in many parts of the world. To help people to get access to clean water, scientists have invented a porous gel embedded with silver nanoparticles that works like a bacteria-killing sponge.

This research reports the preparation of poly(sodium acrylate) (PSA) cryogels decorated with silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) for point-of-use (POU) water disinfection. The PSA/Ag cryogels combine the high porosity, excellent mechanical and water absorption properties of cryogels, and uniform dispersion of fine AgNPs on the cryogel pore surface for rapid disinfection with minimal Ag release (<100 μg L-1). They were used in a process that employed their ability to absorb water, which subsequently could be released via application of mild pressure. Their antibacterial performance was evaluated based on the disinfection efficacies ofE. coliandB. subtilis. The PSA/Ag cryogels had excellent disinfection efficacies showing close to a 3 log reduction of viable bacteria after a brief 15 s contact time.

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