Yee, Swee Li Maxine
(2018)
Silver-based nanocomposite materials for marine antifouling applications.
PhD thesis, University of Nottingham.
Abstract
Biofouling of marine surfaces is an age-old problem that affects natural and man-made surfaces exposed to the aquatic environment. The tenacious attachment of seaweed and invertebrates to man-made surfaces, notably on ship hulls, has incurred undesirable economic losses. The initial stage of the biofouling process has been attributed to the attachment of marine bacteria and their subsequent formation of biofilm which attract the settlement of larger sessile organisms including barnacles and seaweed.
Silver nanostructured materials have a well-documented history as antimicrobial agents against pathogenic bacteria due to their ability to penetrate cell walls and interfere with crucial cellular processes. However, there is a surprising lack of information on their activity against marine biofilm bacteria that have critical roles in the initiation of marine fouling processes. This PhD project explores the antifouling properties of novel silver nanocomposite materials as potent antifouling agents against targeted organisms present in marine environments.
The study consists of the syntheses of novel silver nanocomposite materials using various templates/matrices such as ion-exchange polymeric microspheres, zeolites, TiO2 nanotubes and graphene nanosheets. These materials were characterized through various instrumentation techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), UV-visible (UV-vis) spectrophotometry, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), accelerated surface area porosimetry (ASAP), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and Raman spectroscopy to elucidate their physical properties. Their antifouling effects were evaluated on Halomonas pacifica, a model marine microfouling bacterium, through an established static biofilm assay. In addition, the biological effects of these silver nanocomposites were also studied on marine microalgae Dunaliella tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp.
Silver-polymer nanocomposite (Ag-PNC) microspheres were formed through a rapid chemical synthesis procedure at room temperature via the reduction of silver nitrate by sodium borohydride. The introduction of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) enhanced the thermal stability of the Dowex microspheres by shifting the glass transition temperature to above 300°C and the material decomposition occurred above 460°C. XRD analysis confirmed the presence of metallic Ag, while UV-vis absorption studies showed the characteristic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) for AgNPs ranging from 406 – 422 nm maximum absorption wavelengths. SEM imaging revealed the uniform distribution of AgNPs with diameters between 20 – 60 nm on the surface of the microbeads. The Ag-PNC materials, diluted to a concentration of 1 mg/mL in marine broth, showed a potent inhibitory effect on H. pacifica biofilm formation, with up to 76% decrease of biofilm when contrasted with the polymeric microspheres without Ag. Ag-PNCs also caused significant growth inhibition of D. tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp.
Silver-zeolite nanocomposite clusters (AgZ) were formed through a low temperature chemical reduction method using the environmentally friendly trisodium citrate. The stable and porous inner structure of ZSM-5 zeolites performed a dual role as a stable size-control template and a reservoir of antimicrobial nanosilver. SEM revealed the globular and cluster-like morphology of the AgZ composites, with a homogenous distribution of silver particles on the surface of the clusters. EDX results displayed an increasing Ag loading with higher concentrations of Ag precursor, up to 10 wt% Ag. The UV-visible absorption displayed the characteristic SPR absorption maximum ranging from 408 – 500 nm. The AgZ clusters with metallic silver loading of up to 10 wt% Ag, diluted to a concentration of 1 mg/mL, reduced H. pacifica biofilm attachment of up to 81% compared to pure zeolite alone. XRD analysis clearly indicated the presence of metallic Ag while the ZSM-5 zeolite crystalline framework remained largely intact after the Ag crystal growth process. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis showed a reduction in surface area of up to 44% with the incorporation of AgNPs into the zeolite, indicating the formation and growth of Ag within the internal pores and channels of the zeolite. Although the introduction and crystal growth of silver nanoparticles within the porous structure of the zeolite caused a change from a mesoporous to a largely macroporous structure, the integrity of the zeolite template was preserved.
Silver-titania nanotube (Ag/TNT) composite material was prepared through a novel 2-step hydrothermal synthesis method. Titania nanotubes were chosen as a support material for the AgNPs as its greater specific surface area on the inner and outer surfaces of its tubular structure lead to enhanced properties. The morphology, particle size, chemical content, crystal structure, optical properties and surface area were systematically characterized. Determination of biofilm inhibitory properties revealed that Ag/TNT (concentration of 0.1 mg/mL) with the lowest silver content (0.95 wt% Ag) decorated with AgNPs of approximately 3 nm reduced biofilm formation of H. pacifica by 98% compared to pure titania nanotubes and bulk silver alone. Growth inhibition of D. tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp. were also observed. Interestingly, the antifouling properties were improved with a size decrease of AgNPs. The work shows that titania nanotubes are a stable and effective support for the anchoring and growth of AgNPs. The addition of very low amounts of Ag enhanced the antifouling property of pure TiO2 to produce an extremely potent antifouling effect on the targeted organisms.
Graphene-Ag (GAg) nanocomposites were prepared from a novel and mild hydrothermal synthesis method which bypasses the formation of graphene oxide. The GAg nanocomposite combines the antimicrobial property of silver nanoparticles and the unique structure of graphene as a support material, with potent marine antifouling properties. The results show that GAg nanocomposites displayed significant biofilm inhibition property on H. pacifica and antiproliferative effects on D. tertiolecta and Isochrysis sp. As low as 1.3 wt% of Ag loading on a GAg sample, diluted to a concentration of 0.1 mg/mL, inhibited biofilm formation from H. pacifica. The GAg sample with 4.9 wt% Ag loading was associated with a biofilm inhibition of 99.6%. The marine antifouling properties of GAg nanocomposites were a synergy of the biocidal AgNPs anchored on the flexible graphene sheets, thereby providing maximum active contact surface areas to the target organisms. The GAg material was characterized with SEM, EDX, TEM, XRD and Raman spectroscopy. In addition, the GAg material exhibited the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) effect. The AgNPs were estimated to be between 72-86 nm, observed supported on micron-scaled graphene flakes.
These results strongly suggest that the 4 types of silver-based nanocomposite materials are promising marine antifouling agents. The addition of very low amounts of Ag enhanced the antifouling property of the support structure, and the nanocomposites were shown to be more effective on the targeted organisms compared to the matrix material or bulk silver alone. In addition, the precursor materials used in the syntheses are affordable and easily available, whilst the synthetic methods and conditions are facile, environmentally friendly, and capable of producing high yields.
| Item Type: |
Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
(PhD)
|
| Supervisors: |
Khiew, Poi Sim
Manickam, Sivakumar |
| Keywords: |
silver nanocomposites, ion exchange resin, ZSM-5 zeolite, TiO2 nanotubes, graphene, green synthesis, marine antifouling, biofilm inhibitor, halomonas pacifica |
| Subjects: |
T Technology > TP Chemical technology |
| Faculties/Schools: |
University of Nottingham, Malaysia > Faculty of Science and Engineering — Engineering > Department of Mechanical, Materials and Manufacturing Engineering |
| Item ID: |
45513 |
| Depositing User: |
YEE, Swee Li Maxine
|
| Date Deposited: |
26 Sep 2018 07:19 |
| Last Modified: |
08 Feb 2019 08:02 |
| URI: |
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/45513 |
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