The most recent approach to the development of novel antimicrobial and antifungal agents is based on the application of synthetic and natural zeolites, because zeolites are known to be the carrier and slow releaser of the heavy metals with olygodynamic properties. The microbiological activity of the ion-exchanged zeolites is attributed to the ionic state of the metal sreleased from the zeolites by ion re-exchange. In the present work we used low cost natural clinoptilolite (Cli) as a substrate for copper and silver in different states. The state of oxidation of the exchanged metal in zeolite with supported Cu and Ag species (in the form of cations, small clusters, sub-coloidal particles, large particles) in order to fit them to fulfill the following criteria: to demonstrate their high protective abilities against fungi and long-term stability. The study of structure of samples with XRD, UV-visible spectroscopy, FTIR, their stability with temperature and during storage was carried out for obtaining the correct correlation with microbiological activity.

Date Published: 9 July 2003
PDF: 12 pages
Proc. SPIE 5218, Complex Mediums IV: Beyond Linear Isotropic Dielectrics, (9 July 2003); doi: 10.1117/12.506532

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 5218:
Complex Mediums IV: Beyond Linear Isotropic Dielectrics
Martin W. McCall; Graeme Dewar, Editor(s)