TEHRAN (INIC)- A simple and cost-effective method for coating glass wool fibers by silver nanoparticles was proposed by Iranian researchers at Sharif University of Technology.

“Top-down fabrication techniques which are employed to in the synthesis of metal nano materials (like laser sputtering), are classified as expensive procedures," Nafiseh Sharifi, Ph.D. student at Sharif University of Technology, explained to the new service of INIC, adding, "Regarding the surface tension between glass fibers and the silver coating, silver nano-islands would be formed upon a bed of glass wool via a low-cost method.”

Since glass fibers possess high surface to weight fractions, they are vastly used in air purification systems. On the other hand, silver nanoparticles are effective antibacterial agents. As a consequence, integrating these two properties would result in an efficient bacteria-eliminating package (to be used specially in hospitals).

In the research work, a uniform coating over a substrate of glass wool was formed thorough a chemical method, in which silver complexes are reduced over the glass wool surface, initially. Afterwards, silver nano-islands were shaped over the bed by gradual heating.

Also the initial concentration of the raw materials as well as the heating temperature can considerably affect the morphology of nano-islands.

Sharifi also found the optimized values for these two factors so that a maximum separation among the islands exists while the islands would not diffuse towards the bed.

The details of the instant research work, jointly carried out by Dr. Nima Taghavinia, are available in the Journal of Materials Chemistry and Physics, volume 113, pages 63-66.