title: Polyethyleneimine Capped Silver Nanoclusters as Efficient Antibacterial Agents.
abstract: Development of efficient antibacterial agents is critical for human health. In the present study, we investigated the antibacterial activity of polyethyleneimine (PEI)-capped silver nanoclusters (PEI-AgNCs), based on the fact that nanoclusters normally have higher surface-to-volume ratios than traditional nanomaterials and PEI itself has a strong antimicrobial capacity. We synthesized stable silver nanoclusters by altering PEI molecular weight from 0.6 kDa to 25 kDa and characterized them by UV-Vis absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The sizes of AgNCs were around 2 nm in diameter and were little influenced by the molecular weight of PEIs. The antibacterial abilities of the four PEI-AgNCs were explored on agar plate and in liquid systems. Our results revealed that the antibacterial activity of PEI-AgNCs is excellent and the reduction of PEI molecular weight could result in the increased antibacterial capacity of PEI-AgNCs. Such proposed new materials might be useful as efficient antibacterial agents in practical clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry &amp; Technology, Changsha 410004, China. philip198349@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry &amp; Technology, Changsha 410004, China. jalywang6688@163.com.
authors.forename: Qingyun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry &amp; Technology, Changsha 410004, China. yangtao807@163.com.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry &amp; Technology, Changsha 410004, China. cjz2007@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jianzhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: National Engineering Laboratory for Rice and By-Products Further Processing, Central South University of Forestry &amp; Technology, Changsha 410004, China. LinQL0403@126.com.
authors.forename: Qinlu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China. yuanzq@mail.buct.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Zhiqin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Hunan Ehome Health Technology Inc., Buliding 6# 1715, LvDi Central Square, Yuelu District, Changsha 410023, China. simonli111@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000295:instrumentation; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011094:Polyethyleneimine / Q000737:chemistry*; D012834:Silver / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D012834:Silver; D011094:Polyethyleneimine
keywords: antibacterial agent; polyethyleneimine; silver nanoclusters