Antibacterial activity of nano-silver non-woven fabric prepared by atmospheric pressure plasma deposition

Antimicrobial non-woven polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fabric containing nano-silver of different concentrations has been prepared in a novel three step process. Nano-silver has been incorporated in between two layers of organosilicon thin film deposited by an atmospheric pressure plasma system. The top layer of 10 nm thickness was used as a barrier to prevent release of nanoparticles from the surface. The antimicrobial activity of the nano-silver fabrics was tested using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli by a dilution method. The effect of silver concentration on the lag phase, the specific cell growth rate, and the cell concentration has been studied and discussed based on bacterial growth curves.