Cornet-Like Phosphotriazine/Diamine Polymers as Reductant and Matrix for the Synthesis of Silver Nanocomposites with Antimicrobial Activity Panagiotis Dallas,* Radek Zboril,* Athanasios B. Bourlinos, Dalibor Jancik, Dimitrios Niarchos, Ales Panacek, Dimitrios Petridis Introduction Polymer nanocomposites play a key role in current materials science, since they enable combining suitable properties of matrices and nanoparticles dispersed in them. [1–3] They have attracted considerable attention fueled by the promise of unprecedented performance, improved properties compared to the constituent’s parts and design flexibility, and the interest has been expanded beyond the area of basic research, in applied and industrial fields. [4] Usually these composites utilize an organic polymeric support and nanoparticles that are either dispersed inside the matrix [5] or are surface functionalized with suitable macromolecules the resulting material possesses the individual properties of both partners. [6] Among the various inorganic nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles due to their optical, [7] catalytic [8] and antibacterial [9] properties have been intensively studied. Most important, metallic silver and silver salts are well known as antimicrobial agents in curative and preventive health care for centuries. [10] Since ancient times silver has been used to treat burn wounds and it was a well known and effective antimicrobial agents. During the 1930s a number of synthetically manufactured drugs began to make their appearance, and were highly effective at killing bacteria while also being inexpensive and widely available. Full Paper P. Dallas, A. B. Bourlinos, D. Niarchos, D. Petridis Institute of Materials Science, NCSR Demokritos, Athens 15310, Greece Fax: þ30 2 1065 19430; E-mail: panosdallas@gmail.com P. Dallas, R. Zboril, D. Jancik, A. Panacek Center for Nanomaterials Research and Department of Physical Chemistry, Palacky University, Olomouc, Czech Republic E-mail: zboril@pfnw.upol.cz The synthesis of silver nanoparticles attached on the surface of a hollow cornet-like polymer matrix which served as a reductant and host matrix is described. This hybrid organic/ inorganic macromolecular matrix is exhibiting anion-exchange properties, porous structure and hollow morphologies, and absorptions in the visible light region. Due to the anion-exchange prop- erty and the 3D orientation of the macromolecular chains the material is defining a new functional organic/inorganic hybrid. For the synthesis of nano- particles, no other reducing agents were used and silver nanoparticles with a mean diameter of less than 20 nm were attached on the surface of the polymer, thus inheriting the composite with high antibacterial activity tested in bacterial strains and yeasts. 108 Macromol. Mater. Eng. 2010, 295, 108–114 ß 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim DOI: 10.1002/mame.200900258