Developing a Strategy for the Spatial Localisation and Autonomous Release of Silver Nanoparticles within Smart Implants

Abstract

The prevalence of antibiotic resistance has increased during the last few years and is viewed as a growing problem which has fuelled copious amounts of research on the development of new antibacterial agents. Silver is well recognized as possessing antibacterial activity, and so by harnessing these properties and incorporating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) within microdevices, possessing microfluidic channels has much promise. Progress in developing these types of systems has been limited due to the technological difficulties involved in controlling the inclusion of these nanoparticles within the devices. This work provides an insight into a novel electrochemical interaction that can enable not only the localisation of silver within such structures but also enables the smart release of AgNPs.