| Abstract Scope |
Zn-based materials, such as zinc oxide or zinc phosphate, are well known antimicrobial agents for health applications. In the last years, we have developed green electrochemical approaches for the synthesis of nano- and microstructures, demonstrating their easiness, high yield and ability in controlling size and quality of the produced materials, as valid alternative to wet-chemical/precipitation routes. Synergistic multi-component systems have been also designed. In this contribution, some successful examples of (nano)antimicrobial preparation will be illustrated, emphasizing the advantages of electrochemical sol-gel methods. Moreover, the morphological and spectroscopic characterization of the proposed materials (e.g. HRTEM, XPS, IR) will be presented, highlighting the importance of structure, surface composition, and metal ion release. Implementation in biopolymeric matrices (e.g. alginate, zein) and preparation of multi-component antimicrobials will be shown. Finally, applications in antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial coatings will be overviewed. |