Layered titanosilicates JDF-L1 and AM-4 for biocide applications

JDF-L1 and AM-4 are porous layered titanosilicates that can be modified by ion exchange while keeping the crystallinity. In this study, JDF-L1 and AM-4 were exchanged with Ag+, Zn2+ and Cu2+ ions and characterized by XRD and TEM. JDF-L1 exchanged titanosilicate preserved the crystalline structure while AM-4 exchanged titanosilicate showed a certain loss of crystallinity. In the case of Ag-exchanged samples, the Ag nanoparticles were distributed at the edges of the JDF-L1 crystals whereas they were distributed around the AM-4 particles. The antimicrobial activity was tested with Staphylococcus aureus. All the exchanged titanosilicates showed good antimicrobial activity against the bacteria and the most active was Ag–AM-4.