Silver oxide decorated urchin-like microporous organic polymer composites as versatile antibacterial organic coating materials

Microporous organic polymers (MOPs) and metal oxide hybrid composites are considered valuable coating materials because of their versatility derived from the synergistic combination of MOPs' inherent dispersibility and the distinctive properties of metal oxides. In this study, we present the synthesis of sea-urchin-like MOPs hybridised with silver oxide nanoparticles (Ag 2 O NPs) to fabricate antibacterial composites suitable for potential antibacterial coating applications. Ag 2 O NP-decorated urchin-like MOPs (Ag 2 O@UMOPs) were synthesised by employing a combination of two methods: a one-pot Lewis acid-base interaction-mediated self-assembly and a straightforward impregnation process. The as-prepared Ag 2 O@UMOPs demonstrated high antibacterial efficacy against both E. coli (G−) and S. aureus (G+). The antibacterial mechanism of Ag 2 O@UMOPs mainly involved the synergistic effects of accumulation of Ag 2 O@UMOPs, the release of Ag + ions, and the generation of reactive oxygen species. The exceptional processability and biosafety of Ag 2 O@UMOPs make them ideal organic coating materials for convenient application on various substrates. These remarkable features of Ag 2 O@UMOPs provide an effective platform for potential antibacterial applications in biological sciences. Microporous organic polymers (MOPs) and silver oxide (Ag 2 O) hybrid composites do show good antimicrobial capabilities, making them flexible for a variety of applications.