Abstract
Alginic acid coated polyethylene films were examined in terms of surface properties and bacteriostatic performance against two most representative bacterial strains, that is, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Microwave plasma treatment followed by brush formation in vapor state from three distinguished precursors (allylalcohol, allylamine, hydroxyethyl methacrylate) was carried out to deposit alginic acid on the substrate. Surface analyses via various techniques established that alginic acid was immobilized onto the surface where grafting (brush) chemistry influenced the amount of alginic acid coated. Moreover, alginic acid was found to be capable of bacterial growth inhibition which itself was significantly affected by the brush type. The polyanionic character of alginic acid as a carbohydrate polymer was assumed to play the pivotal role in antibacterial activity. The cell wall composition of two bacterial strains along with the substrates physicochemical properties accounted for different levels of bacteriostatic performance.
Highlights
The surface features of biomaterials govern the interactions with biological molecules and play a decisive role in biofunctional materials development
This is not clearly evident in the case of samples 6 and 7 as compared with sample 8, which could suggest that AAL and AAM are not as efficient grafts as hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) brush
Surface-activated substrates were immediately exposed to the saturated vapor of volatile monomers of AAM, AAL, and HEMA for 10 s at room temperature for polymeric brush formation
Summary
The surface features of biomaterials govern the interactions with biological molecules and play a decisive role in biofunctional materials development. This is why surface engineering has been practiced over recent decades to deal with a number of medical device related challenges [1]. Further stable enhancement of the surface reactivity can be achieved by grafting hydrophilic monomers of a vinyl type onto the surface of different substrates leading to brush formation, so that the resultant surfaces of materials reach the desired level of chemical functionality and characteristics for intended applications [5]. The grafting-from approach has become the preferred option for the synthesis of polymer brushes where better control and higher reaction rate are achieved when the brush is developed in vapor phase. Viscosity in vapor state is not a determining factor, besides; there is less contamination as well as unwanted side reactions [7]
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