Leny Yuliatun, Mariyam Mariyam, Nadiisah Nurul Inayah, Cresentia Aurora Mizuki, Fatma Fitriyah, Muhamad Allan Serunting, Aditya Ayu Wulanda, Idra Herlina, Demi Dama Yanti, Tri Siswandi Syahputra
The development of endodontic materials capable of providing long-term antimicrobial activity while maintaining structural stability remains a major clinical challenge. Silver-modified calcium silicate (Ca-Si-Ag) cements were investigated to enhance antibacterial performance through silver doping. Their physicochemical behavior, including alkalinity properties, was systematically evaluated together with antibacterial efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. All synthesized materials generated a strongly alkaline microenvironment (pH > 11 on day 1), followed by stabilization on days 7 and 14 due to the formation of a calcium silicate hydrate (C–S–H) layer, which improved matrix integrity and promoted mineralizing potential. Incorporation of silver resulted in a significant improvement of antibacterial activity, particularly against Gram-positive S. aureus, driven by Ag⁺ release in immersion liquid medium. This study further provides structural evidence of Ag incorporation through XRD peak shifting, indicating lattice modification and its role in antibacterial performance. These findings demonstrate that Ag-doped Ca-Si cements combine sustained antimicrobial action with favorable physicochemical stability, making them promising candidates for next-generation bioactive endodontic materials. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Research Center for Biomass and Bioproduct, National Research and Innovation Agency, Cibinong, 16911, Indonesia; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, South Lampung, 35365, Indonesia; Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Institut Teknologi Sumatera, South Lampung, 35365, Indonesia