Síntesis verde y caracterización de sólidos de matriz silícea con cobre y plata obtenidos a partir de dos precursores para su aplicación como aditivos antifúngicos

The synthesis of new environmentally friendly products with antimicrobial activity, applied to the formulation of coatings that prevent biofilm formation is an issue that has become important in recent years. Biofilms produce undesirable changes (biodeterioration) in material properties due to the vital activity of microorganisms. They reduce indoor air quality by contributing to the formation of bioaerosols and therefore affect human health. This paper aims to greensynthesis and characterization of solid silica matrix associated with copper and silver, as counter cations of a heteropolyacid for use as antimicrobial additives in paints. The solids were obtained from the sol-gel method using different acidic medium. The antifungal activity of the synthesized solids was evaluated against two fungal isolates, Alternaria alternata and Chaetomium globosum, obtained from biodeteriorated paints films. Different silicas were prepared using tetraethyl orthosilicate and methyltrimethoxysilane as precursors and acids as catalysts for the hydrolysis reaction of the alkoxide. Once the synthesis phase and the characterization of the samples were finished, the antifungal activity against the microorganisms selected was evaluated and the inhibition percent was determined in each case. Among the solids tested, most showed antifungal activity, because they inhibited the fungal growth at the lower concentrations compared to the sample without the solids, although the presence of copper and silver increases the inhibition in most cases.