The Antibacterial Activities of Ag/$Nano-TiO_2$ Modified Silicone Elastomer

We studied the ability of Ag/$nano-TiO_2$ to inhibit Staphylococcus aureus growth on silicone elastomer material. Ag/$nano-TiO_2$ silicone elastomer was prepared with different concentrations of 0%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, 10%. The antibacterial efficacy of Ag/$nano-TiO_2$ silicone elastomer was determined by the inhibition zone method and the impregnated culture method. The antibacterial timeliness of Ag/$nano-TiO_2$ silicone elastomer was tested by direct contact method. The samples were kept through thermal aging process in an accelerated aging chamber. The effect of concentrations of Ag/$nano-TiO_2$ was insignificant (P < 0.05). There was significant difference between the Ag/$nano-TiO_2$ silicone elastomer and the blank silicone elastomer (P < 0.5). There was also significant difference among specimen groups whose aging periods were 50°C, 100°C, 150°C, 200°C for 87 h (P < 0.5). The silicone elastomer with different concentrations of Ag/$nano-TiO_2$ effectively inhibits Staphylococcus aureus growth.