Morphological and Antimicrobial Study of Silica-Based Hybrids Synthesized via Sol–Gel Chemistry

The aim of this study was to describe two series of organic?inorganic silica-based hybrid materials synthesized via the sol?gel method, with 0, 5, 10, and 15 wt% of quercetin, respectively, and 0, 6, 12, 24, and 50 wt% of polyethylene glycol for each quercetin wt% composition. The hybrid materials proprieties were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Antibacterial tests were performed on the hybrid materials to evaluate their ability to inhibit the bacterial growths. The used strains were Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (as Gram-negative), and Enterococcus faecalis and Staphylococcus aureus (as Gram-positive). FT-IR analysis demonstrated the formation of the hybrid materials by H-bonds and the SEM images proved an excellent homogenization of the materials enclosed in the prepared composites. Finally, antibacterial tests revealed a decrease in antibacterial properties with an increment of PEG percentage.