TOKOYO - Hygienic conditions and sterile procedures are particularly important in hospitals, kitchens and sanitary facilities, air conditioning and ventilation systems, in food preparation and in the manufacture of packaging material. In these areas, bacteria and fungi compromise the health of both consumers and patients. Researchers at the INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbruecken, Germany, have now produced antimicrobial abrasion-resistant coatings with both silver and copper colloids with a long-term effect that kill germs reliably and at the same time prevent germs becoming established. The coatings are particularly suitable for the application on large and solid surfaces, on door handles and for textiles.
The researchers from the INM presented their results at the International Nanotechnology Exhibition and Conference nano tech 2015 in Tokio, Japan.