JOURNAL OF POROUS MATERIALS, cilt.30, sa.2, ss.619-628, 2023 (SCI-Expanded)
Realizing higher loading and extended-release time of bulkier molecules for enhanced antibacterial activity can be a challenge, which is highly dependent on the pore characteristics of the network used for their encapsulation. This study highlights that the hierarchical microporous Engelhard titanosilicate ETS-10 crystals support a higher amount of thymol encapsulation to allow long-term thymol release and higher antimicrobial activity. In this study, post-synthesis treatment of ETS-10 was performed with H2O2 at two different concentrations to induce hierarchical porosity resulting in a gradual increase in surface area and pore volume of ETS-10. The thymol encapsulated and post-treated ETS-10 crystals with enlarged porosity were shown to exhibit enhanced antimicrobial activity against P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and C. albicans compared to untreated ones. Furthermore, the thymol release time was prolonged significantly in addition to an altered release profile. Our findings suggest that tailoring pore characteristics by a simple post-treatment applied to microporous networks creating some hierarchical structure can be an alternative approach for enhanced antimicrobial activity and prolonged release of oil extracts that are vulnerable to environmental conditions.