The inclusion of silver-containing zeolites into polymers and other matrices is an active area of research with many potential applications. Silver has a long history of usage in medical applications for its antimicrobial properties. In recent years, due to the reemergence of silver as a broad-spectrum antimicrobial, zeolites have been investigated and implemented as a platform for the storage and release of silver ions. If silver-containing zeolites could be incorporated into polymeric structures, such as those generated from stereolithography and digital light processing, the resulting structures may exhibit antimicrobial properties. Towards that end, we envision a photopolymerizable resin consisting of monomers and functionalized zeolites such that the zeolites might be chemically bound to the surface of the printed structures. Here we detail efforts to functionalize the surface of silver-containing zeolites with modified methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers, followed by photopolymerization of mixtures of the modified zeolites and excess MMA to form composites of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and silver-containing zeolites. Surface-modified silver-containing zeolites were characterized with FT-IR spectroscopy, where absorbances corresponding to the C=O stretch, near 1700 cm<sup>-1</sup>, are indicative of modified MMA. The concentrations of silver in the zeolites before and after surface modification were monitored via electron dispersive spectroscopy and qualitatively remain constant. Photopolymerization trials—where relative concentrations of monomer, modified zeolite, and photoinitiators were varied—yielded mixtures and composites with varied properties, as characterized by FT-IR, SEM-EDS, DSC, and NMR. Ultimately, this research provides proof of concept for future stereolithographic fabrication of structures with antimicrobial properties.

Functionalization of silver-containing zeolites for incorporation into polymers via photopolymerization

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