Characterization of Silver Nanoparticles Encapsulated Using an Ion-Exchange-Mediated Method and Their Application as Antimicrobial Agents

This study presents a method to encapsulate silver nanoparticle clusters in a NaCl and zeolite 4A matrix. This process allowed clusters of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) smaller than 100 nm to be obtained, with a size trend of 7 nm. The interplanar distances obtained by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) support that the synthesized nanoparticles have a cubic structure. The optical properties of the encapsulated clusters were studied by considering the surface plasmon resonance of Ag NPs located around 374 nm. The antibacterial efficacy of encapsulated nanoparticles was analyzed based on minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The encapsulated Ag NPs showed antibacterial inhibition at relatively low doses.