Nondegradable Antimicrobial Silver-Based Perovskite

We synthesized nanostructured AgNbO3 silver perovskite oxide, which prevents the proliferation of microbial cells without undergoing corrosion. The compound was tested for antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We confirmed that the antimicrobial activity of the compound was not related to its high dielectric and piezoelectric properties. While the measured activity, as quantified by the minimum inhibitory concentration, was similar to the activity of Ag2O particles subjected to the same mechanical treatments, the level of silver ion release of Ag2O was 60 times higher than that of AgNbO3. This indicated that the antimicrobial activity of AgNbO3 is not due to corrosion resulting in silver ion release to the media.