Synthesis of silver nanostructures on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) using electron beam irradiation for antimicrobacterial effect

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE, Teflon), a frequently utilized polymer for the fabrication of synthetic vascular graft, was surface-modified by electron beam irradiation. At the same time, the silver nanostructures were obtained on PTFE surface when exposed to an electron beam in silver ion solution. Results from FE-SEM characterization revealed that morphologies of the prepared silver nanostructures were in different shapes and sizes. The effect of electron beam current and the irradiation time on silver nanostructures formations were also investigated. In addition, we found that these prepared silver nanostructures on PTFE surface exhibited antimicrobial effect through qualitative evaluation method against Escherichia coli (ATCC 8739). This approach offered a new route for preparing silver nanostructures under electron beam irradiation, and the resulting PTFE vascular graft could be used as biocidal medical device.