Preparation of Laser-Ablated Ag Nanoparticle–MMT Clay-Based Beeswax Antibiofilm Coating

Unlike other antimicrobial agents, Ag-based composites are stable and currently widely used as broad spectral additives, fighting microbial biofilms and other biological threats. The goal of the present study is to develop a green, multifunctional, and robust antibiofilm water-insoluble coating, inhibiting histamine-producing Lentilactobacillus parabuchneri biofilms. Herein, laser-ablated Ag NPs (L-Ag NPs) were incorporated into and onto a montmorillonite (MMT) surface layer with a simple wet chemical method, provided that the electrostatic interaction between L-Ag NPs and MMT clay led to the formation of L-Ag/MMT nanoantimicrobials (NAMs). The use of MMT support can facilitate handling Ag NPs in industrial applications. The Ag/MMT composite was characterized with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), which confirmed the entrapment of L-Ag NPs into MMT clay. The surface chemical composition was assessed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, proving that Ag NPs were in contact with and deposited onto the surface of MMT. The characteristic L-Ag/MMT band was investigated with UV–vis spectroscopy. Following that, the L-Ag/MMT composite was embedded into a biosafe water-insoluble beeswax agent with a spin coating technique. The antimicrobial ion release kinetic profile of the L-Ag/MMT/beeswax coating through an electrothermal atomic absorption spectroscopy (ETAAS) study supported the controlled release of Ag ions, reaching a plateau at 420 ± 80 nM, which is safe from the point of view of Ag toxicity. Microbial biofilm growth inhibition was assessed with real-time in situ Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR) in a flow cell assembly over 32 h. The study was further supported by optical density (OD) measurements and SEM on bacteria incubated in the presence of the L-Ag/MMT/beeswax coating.