Photoproperties of silver sulfadiazine

Dry silver sulfadiazine (AgSD) is not light sensitive but shows a greenish-blue r.t. photoluminescence at lambda(max) = 482 nm which is suggested to originate from an IL triplet. In the presence of water AgSD undergoes a partial hydrolysis with the formation of free sulfadiazine (HSD) which has been previously shown to be photoreactive. Moreover, irradiation of an aqueous suspension of AgSD leads also to the photoreduction of Ag+ to elemental silver. This photolysis might explain the origin of argyria which can occur when AgSD in contact with human skin is exposed to sun light. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.