Study on the Synthesis and Antibacterial Properties of Silver-Chitosan Composite

The aim of this work was to synthesize a silver-chitosan composite to enhance the antibacterial properties of the composite by using as small an amount of silver as possible. The silver-chitosan composite was prepared using a facile method. The structure character of the silver-chitosan composite was characterized by X-ray diffractometry (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). Its antibacterial activities were evaluated by measurements of the minimal inhibition concentration (MIC), inhibition zone diameter and the kinetics of antibacterial activity. The results indicated that silver was connected with the chitosan homogeneously and stably after initiation by potassium persulfate. The composite exhibited high antibacterial activity to Candida albicans with low MIC and relatively low optical density; it also had good antibacterial activity to Escherichia coli with larger inhibition zone diameter.