M. Fernández-Arias et al. RE-irradiation of silver nanoparticles obtained by laser ablation in water and assessment of their antibacterial effect. Applied Surface Science

M. Fernández-Arias, M. Boutinguiza, J. del Val, E. Medina, D. Rodríguez, A. Riveiro, R. Comesaña, F. Lusquiños, F.J. Gil, J. Pou. RE-irradiation of silver nanoparticles obtained by laser ablation in water and assessment of their antibacterial effect. Applied Surface Science 473 (2019) 548–554.

doi: doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2018.12.182

Abstract

The rapid evolution of resistant bacteria is a huge problem in medicine because makes the treatment of infections more and more difficult. The bactericidal properties of noble metal nanoparticles could be a solution.

In this work silver nanoparticles were produced by using two nanosecond Nd:YVO4 lasers operating at 1064 and 532 nm respectively to ablate a silver target submerged in pure de-ionized water. Part of the resulting colloidal solution was injected as a fine stream by a compressed air system and re-irradiated one and three times with the same laser to resize and get uniform nanoparticles.

The obtained nanoparticles by ablation and re-irradiation consisted of crystalline Ag nanoparticles with a bimodal size distribution. The particle size has been reduced by subsequent laser re-irradiation with both laser sources, reaching a 40% of mean size reduction. Inhibitory effects on the proliferation of Staphylococcus aureus was demonstrated on silver nanoparticles obtained after re-irradiation with the infrared laser.