Antibacterial Activity of Activated Carbon Fibers Containing Silver Metal

Antibacterial behaviors of PAN-based activated carbon fibers (ACFs) containing silver metal were investigated. The effects of surface and pore structures of the ACFs were studied by $N_2$/77 K adsorption and D-R plot as a function of silver loading content. The antibacterial activities were investigated by a dilution test against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus; gram positive) and Klebsiella pnemoniae (K. pnumoniae; gram negative). As experimental results, the ACFs showed some decreases in specific surface areas, micropore volumes, and total pore volume with an increase of silver content. However, the antibacterial activities of the ACFs were strongly increased against S. aureus as well as K. pnumoniae, which could be attributed to the presence of antibacterial metal in the ACFs system.