Consumer products containing nanomaterials are primarily coated with either inorganic or organic stabilizers. As such, upon release of nanoproducts into environmental media, coating materials may affect not only the fate, transport, and toxicity of nanomaterials, but also the antimicrobial properties of nanomaterials through dissolution and the resultant bioaccumulation of organisms. The effects of different types of coating materials (e.g., CMC, PVP) on TiO2 nanoparticles were investigated from the perspective of toxicity and resultant mechanisms. Results indicate an increased antibacterial effect of TiO2 on E. coli at higher concentrations of TiO2, regardless of the type of TiO2 (industrial TiO2 without coating materials; CMC-coated TiO2; PVP-coated TiO2). The growth inhibition of E. coli was similar among coated and uncoated TiO2 nanoparticles, with slightly higher toxicity observed from the coated TiO2 nanoparticles. In order to further examine the toxicity mechanisms, TEM analysis and ROS measurement were carried out. Results show that while smaller sizes were observed from PVP- and CMC-coated TiO2 nanoparticles, the generation of ROS was independent from coated and uncoated TiO2. The coating materials may have inhibited the generation of ROS. Results indicate that antibacterial effect is primarily attributed to size effect (smaller sizes of the cell damages) rather than the effect of cell damage from reactive oxygen species generated from TiO2 nanoparticles.

Effect of organic coating materials on antibacterial properties of titanium dioxide nanoparticles

254th National Meeting (2017)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.