Université de Fribourg

Silver coordination compounds with antimicrobial properties

Fromm, Katharina M.

In: Applied Organometallic Chemistry, 2014, vol. 27, no. 12, p. 683–687

Silver and its compounds have long been known to possess antimicrobial properties. We report here on our observations in this field of research, namely on silver coordination compounds, and in particular polymers, which can be used in the medical field. An overview of the structural diversity of coordination compounds with a particular class of organic ligands is given, together with their...

Université de Fribourg

One-pot synthesis and catalytic properties of encapsulated silver nanoparticles in silica nanocontainers

Priebe, Magdalena ; Fromm, Katharina M.

In: Particle & Particle Systems Characterization, 2014, vol. 31, no. 6, p. 645–651

The microemulsion approach constitutes a novel method for preparation of nanorattles, which are nanostructures with a preserved void between an encapsulated core and the surrounding shell of the nanocontainer. A facile one-pot synthesis and encapsulation is demonstrated for silver nanoparticles into silica nanocontainers to form Ag@SiO₂ nanorattles.

Université de Fribourg

Bioinorganic chemistry of silver: its interactions with amino acids and peptides

Fromm, Katharina M.

In: CHIMIA International Journal for Chemistry, 2013, vol. 67, no. 12, p. 851–854

Silver and its compounds have been used for centuries for e.g. water storage, burn wounds or as eye ointment. Almost forgotten after the discovery of antibiotics, silver chemistry has had a revival over the past years as a means to combat multi-resistant bacteria. Although the details of its mechanism of action are still unknown, silver seems to be efficient as it interacts with many biomolecular...

Université de Fribourg

pH-dependent coordination of AgI ions by histidine: experiment, theory, and a model for SilE

Mirolo, Laurent ; Schmidt, Tobias ; Eckhardt, Sonja ; Meuwly, Markus ; Fromm, Katharina M.

In: Chemistry - A European Journal, 2013, vol. 19, no. 5, p. 1754–1761

Artificial implants and biomaterials lack the natural defense system of our body and, thus, have to be protected from bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation. In addition to the increasing number of implanted objects, the resistance of bacteria is also an important problem. Silver ions are well-known for their antimicrobial properties, yet not a lot is known about their mode of action. Silver is...

Université de Fribourg

In vitro biocompatibility of new silver(I) coordination compound coated-surfaces for dental implant applications

Brunetto, Priscilla S. ; Slenters, Tünde Vig ; Fromm, Katharina M.

In: Materials, 2011, vol. 4, no. 2, p. 355-367

Biofilm formation on implant materials causes a common problem: resistance to aggressive pharmacological agents as well as host defenses. Therefore, to reduce bacterial adhesion to implant surfaces we propose to use silver(I) coordination networks as it is known that silver is the most powerful antimicrobial inorganic agent. As a model surface, self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold Au(111) was...

Université de Fribourg

Silver nanoparticle formation in different sizes induced by peptides identified within split-and-mix libraries

Belser, Kirsten ; Slenters, Tünde Vig ; Pfumbidzai, Conelious ; Upert, Grégory ; Mirolo, Laurent ; Fromm, Katharina M. ; Wennemers, Helma

In: Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 2009, vol. 48, no. 20, p. 3661-3664

Split-and-mix libraries are an excellent tool for the identification of peptides that induce the formation of Ag nanoparticles in the presence of either light or sodium ascorbate to reduce Ag+ ions. Structurally diverse peptides were detected in colorimetric on-bead screenings that generate Ag nanoparticles of different sizes, as confirmed by SEM and X-ray powder diffraction studies