The main objective of the work was to create a layer of carbon nanofibre on the surface of the NiTi shape memory alloy. The coating process was carried out in three stages. First, polyacrylonitrile was deposited by electrospinning. Then it was stabilized at temperatures up to 250°C. The last stage was the carbonization performed below 1000°C. The microstructure of the obtained coatings was observed using a scanning electron microscope. The X-ray diffraction techniques were applied to analyze the coating structure. After the polyacrylonitrile deposition, the fibers had an average diameter of about 280 nm, and the final fibers were almost twice as tiny. The applied steps also changed the phase and crystalline state of the fibers, finally leading to the formation of amorphous-nanocrystalline graphite.
Composites made of resorbable polylactide modified with bone powder are part of the current search for implantable materials endowed with advantageous biomechanical functions, which make them suitable for orthopedics and traumatology applications. The bone additive containing active bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and calcium phosphates introduced into the polymer matrix is to grant the implant with a biological activity. Subsequently, the resorbable matrix should get replaced with bone tissue. In order to avoid losing the osteoinductive properties of the designed material, it should be processed at low temperatures via physicochemical methods. This paper is devoted to the preparation and optimization of the composite production method suitable for biodegradable polymers and morphogenetic proteins along with the assessment of biocompatibility and biological properties of obtained materials. The tape-casting method was successfully applied. Resorbable polymer (medical poly-L-lactide, Purasorb PL38 by Purac) with 15 wt% of human bone powder (from tissue bank) were used to fabricate PLA-CP/BMPs composite implants. They were tested in in vivo studies that were performed in rabbit bone tissues. The results show a high biocompatibility of the material and good osteointegration with bone tissue.
The aim of the work was to produce wrapping films made of biodegradable polymer PLA (polylactide) and its modification in the form of a polymer mixture with additions of aluminosilicate – montmorillonite and anti-bacterial concentrate – SilverBatch nanosilver, followed by analysis of selected mechanical properties of these films. The assessment of mechanical properties included checking the tensile strength, as well as assessment of the degree of deformation of the film due to force and of the value of Young’s modulus measured. The results were analyzed statistically using such indicators as arithmetic mean and standard deviation.
PL
Celem pracy było wytworzenie folii opakowaniowych wykonanych z polimeru resorbowalnego PLA (polaktydu) i jego modyfikacja w postaci mieszaniny polimerów z dodatkiem glinokrzemianu – montmorylonitu i koncentratu przeciwbakteryjnego – nanosrebra SilverBatch, a następnie analiza wybranych właściwości fizycznych i mechanicznych tych folii. Zmiany właściwości fizycznych próbek folii sprawdzono poprzez inkubację materiału w kwasie buraczanym. Ocena właściwości mechanicznych obejmowała sprawdzenie wytrzymałości na rozciąganie, ocenę stopnia odkształcenia folii pod wpływem siły i zmierzonej wartości modułu Younga. Wyniki analizowano statystycznie przy użyciu takich wskaźników, jak średnia arytmetyczna i odchylenie standardowe.
Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of intercalation of gentamicin and neomycin in montmorillonite (MMT) nanofillers, as well as to study the in vitro antimicrobial properties of nanocomposite films containing a small amount of thus obtained nanofillers. Methods: The polylactide matrix (PLA) nanocomposite films with drug-intercalated montmorillonite fillers were obtained by casting after intercalation of drugs in aqueous solutions. The efficiency of intercalation has been confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Zeta potential measurements. The materials were studied for surface wettability, roughness and mechanical properties during 6 weeks of incubation in phosphate buffer saline, and their bactericidal activity was tested against Escherichia coli bacteria before and after 6 weeks of incubation in distilled water at 37 C. The presence of antibiotics during the incubation was monitored by conductivity and pH measurements. Results: The results indicate that nanocomposite polylactide films with montmorillonite filler intercalated with gentamicin and neomycin tend to degrade faster that their counterparts with non-intercalated fillers, which affects their mechanical properties. However, drug intercalation provided an antibacterial activity, which was confirmed by the presence of zones inhibiting the growth of Gram-negative bacteria for both antibiotics. It was also confirmed that the interaction of antibiotics with clay and polymer matrix did not adversely affect this bactericidal effect. Conclusions: Montmorillonite can be successfully intercalated with both gentamicin and neomycin, and then used as active filler for polylactide films having very good antibacterial properties, therefore their use in biomedical applications can be significantly expanded.