Formation of silver-containing films based on polyelectrolyte complexes by sputtering deposition and their antimicrobial and antiviral activity

Silver-containing film materials are formed by vacuum sputtering of silver nanoparticles on the surface of polyelectrolyte complexes based on chitosan and sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose (pectin). The obtained samples were characterized by the methods of wide-angle X-ray scattering and transmission electron microscopy, and their antimicrobial, antiviral and cytotoxic properties were also investigated. The presence of metallic silver on the surface of polyelectrolyte complexes was confirmed by the method of wide-angle X-ray diffraction. It was established that upon sputtering of silver, a ~200 nm thick layer is formed within 5 minutes. It was shown that Na-CMC–Ag–chitosan and pectin–Ag–chitosan samples, formed by silver sputtering, exhibit antimicrobial activity against test cultures of S. aureus, E. coli, P. aeruginosa, and C. albicans. Antiviral activity of samples against influenza A virus and herpes simplex virus type 1 was also established. The obtained samples were not cytotoxic, did not inhibit the viability of MDCK and BHK cell cultures.