Zinc complexes as antimicrobial wound dressings

Scientists in the UK have made metal-containing thin films that can be incorporated into wound dressings or on surfaces to kill microbes and bacteria in hospitals.

Andrew Johnson, at the University of Bath, and colleagues created the antimicrobial films from zinc and copper Schiff-base complexes incorporating ligands made by reacting aldehydes with primary amines, which they then deposited onto polypropylene fabric commonly used in nappies and bandages.