Antibacterial polyurethane materials with silver and copper nanoparticles

Abstract

New biologically active polyurethanes with silver and copper nanoparticles in their composition were prepared by saturation of liquid polyether (the initial component for polyurethane synthesis) with nanoparticles (Ag, Cu), followed by synthesis of polyurethane. The results of these studies allow consideration of these materials as medical suppliers with antibacterial properties. The main problem of their creation is uniform distribution of the metal nanoparticles inside the polymer matrix without changing the physico-chemical properties of the latter. Obtaining of metal nanoparticles’ colloid in a liquid polyoxytetramethylene glycol, MM 1000 was carried out by electron beam evaporation technology and vacuum deposition. This method allowed creating, on the basis of obtained colloids, the metal-containing polyurethane materials with targeted properties and structure that are determined by diisocyanates and chain extenders nature. Biological study has shown that polyurethanes containing Cu and Ag nanoparticles possess bactericidal/bacteriostatic effect against bacteria, fungi and yeast-like fungi. Polymer samples did not exhibit toxicity to the tissue culture cells and there were no biodegradation products observed in the culture medium. Resulting biologically active metal-containing polyurethane materials can be processed into products for medical purposes (implants, drug delivery systems, antimicrobial coatings for biomedical devices and antimicrobial packaging) by standard methods of polyurethane processing, since the presence of metal nanoparticles in their composition does not affect the physical properties of the polymer.