Polymer Chain Scission Research Articles

Studying the Effect of Carbonous Fillers on the Properties of Conductive Polymer Composites As Flow Field Plates in Redox Flow Batteries

Redox flow batteries (RFBs) are large-scale stationary energy storage technologies that are integrated with solar and wind power plants. Flow field plates guide the electrolyte inside the RFB and conduct electrons from the electrodes to the current collector; hence, designing thin, durable, and electrically conductive flow field plate benefits RFB performance.Bipolar graphite plates (BGPs) are traditionally used in RFBs due to their high electrical conductivity. However, BGPs are brittle, difficult to machine, and have high contact resistance with electrodes1-4. Hence, conductive polymer composites (CPCs) were proposed as alternatives. the CPCs are composed of one (or multiple) carbonous filler(s) and a durable polymer; the former provides the electrical conductivity, and the latter ensures mechanical flexibility and durability. Although many articles have explored this area1-12, a comprehensive study on the effect of size and shape of the carbonous fillers (majority and minority ones) is absent from the literature.Many methodologies to produce CPCs are proposed; however, most lead to polymer chain scission or non-homogeneous mixing of components. Solution blending of all components, casting the solution, drying, and hot pressing it afterwards (to ensure compactness) is one of the methodologies that avoids mentioned complications. Preliminary results with natural graphite flakes and PVDF-co-HFP utilizing this method showed very low conductivity (<0.1 S/cm). This result is attributed to the formation of a superficial polymer-rich layer, as shown in Fig. 1. Hence, producing CPCs either without hot pressing or utilizing surface treatments to remove the polymer-rich region are studied here. Additionally, this study focuses on understanding the effect of shape and size of the carbonous filler(s) within CPCs as flow field plates for RFBs.Fig. 1. SEM images of PVDF-co-HFP and graphite (50/50% wt/wt) distribution in CPCs produced by solution blend method. Before hot pressing the composites, the polymer was homogeneously blend with the graphite. However, an insulating polymer-rich layer was formed on the surface of the CPCs after hot pressing.

Interfacial Reactions in Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Plastics.

Depolymerization of plastics is a leading strategy to combat the escalating global plastic waste crisis through chemical recycling, upcycling, and remediation of micro-/nanoplastics. However, critical processes necessary for polymer chain scission, occurring at the polymer-catalyst or polymer-fluid interfaces, remain largely overlooked. Herein, we spotlight the importance of understanding these interfacial chemical processes as a critical necessity for optimizing kinetics and reactivity in plastics recycling and upcycling, controlling reaction outcomes, product distributions, as well as improving the environmental sustainability of these processes. Several examples are highlighted in heterogeneous processes such as hydrogenation over solid catalysts, reaction of plastics in immiscible media, and biocatalysis. Ultimately, judicious exploitation of interfacial reactivity has practical implications in developing practical, robust, and cost-effective processes to reduce plastic waste and enable a viable post-use circular plastics economy.

Visualization of Polymer Chain Scission during Melt Processing Using a Mechanochromic Probe

Visualization of Polymer Chain Scission during Melt Processing Using a Mechanochromic Probe

Multiscale assessment of artificial aging treatment of polysaccharides from tonewood species

In the acoustics of musical instruments with a resonator body, the aging of the wood leads to the improvement of the acoustic properties due to increasing the crystallinity of wood. This phenomenon could be explained by the fact that wood is a complex product based on three-dimensional polymer chains of carbohydrates, its aging being closely related to covalent cross-linking and scission of polymer chains. The aim of this study was to evaluate at a multiscale the changes produced artificial aging of tone wood by measuring the acoustic, mechanical and chemical parameters. The spruce and maple wood samples were investigated before and after exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, through the tensile test, the time-of-flight method (TOF), the analysis of the wood color and the determination of the chemical fingerprint through Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The obtained results showed that the effects of artificial aging are manifested at the chemical level where the crystallinity increases up to the acoustic level, depending on the wood species and their quality class. These results are relevant for musical instrument manufacturers to find treatments that lead to superior acoustic properties.

Accelerated Mechanophore Activation and Drug Release in Network Core‐Structured Star Polymers Using High‐Intensity Focused Ultrasound

The ultrasound (US)‐induced activation of mechanophores embedded in linear polymers (LPs) is the most widely employed technique to realize chemical function by polymer mechanochemistry. However, the commonly used US frequency in this context is around 20 kHz, producing strong inertial cavitation limiting biomedical applicability. Herein, 20 kHz US and 1.5 MHz high‐intensity focused US (HIFU) are investigated to drive disulfide mechanophore activation and mechanochemical polymer chain scission in network core‐structured star polymers (NCSPs). It is found that the efficiency of activating disulfide mechanophores in NCSPs using 1.5 MHz HIFU irradiation is similar to the efficiency achieved with 20 kHz sonication. This is quantified by ‘turn on’ sensor molecules leveraging the Michael addition of the mechanochemically generated thiol groups and subsequent retro Diels–Alder reaction to release a fluorophore. Moreover, the anticancer drug doxorubicin (Dox) covalently loaded into NCSPs is efficiently released by 1.5 MHz HIFU. Finally, an in vitro study of drug release from NCSPs is performed, demonstrating the potential of HIFU‐activated polymer mechanochemistry for sonopharmacology.

Hydrophilic Poly(meth)acrylates by Controlled Radical Branching Polymerization: Hyperbranching and Fragmentation.

Topology significantly impacts polymer properties and applications. Hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) synthesized via atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) using inimers typically exhibit broad molecular weight distributions and limited control over branching. Alternatively, copolymerization of inibramers (IB), such as α-chloro/bromo acrylates with vinyl monomers, yields HBPs with precise and uniform branching. Herein, we described the synthesis of hydrophilic HB polyacrylates in water by copolymerizing a water-soluble IB, oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether 2-bromoacrylate (OEOBA), with various hydrophilic acrylate comonomers. Visible-light-mediated controlled radical branching polymerization (CRBP) with dual catalysis using eosin Y (EY) and copper complexes resulted in HBPs with various molecular weights (M n = 38 000 to 170 000) and degrees of branching (2%-24%). Furthermore, the optimized conditions enabled the successful application of the OEOBA to synthesize linear-hyperbranched block copolymers and hyperbranched polymer protein hybrids (HB-PPH), demonstrating its potential to advance the synthesis of complex macromolecular architecture under environmentally benign conditions. Copolymerization of hydrophilic methacrylate monomer, oligo(ethylene oxide) methyl ether methacrylate (OEOMA500), and inibramer OEOBA was accompanied by fragmentation via β-carbon C-C bond scission and subsequent growth of polymer chains from the fragments. Furthermore, computational studies investigating the fragmentation depending on the IB and comonomer structure supported the experimental observations. This work expands the toolkit of water-soluble inibramers for CRBP and highlights the critical influence of the inibramer structure on reaction outcomes.

Gamma-irradiation-induced tailoring of physical, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties of PVC/PANI/TiO2 nanocomposites for different applications

Gamma irradiation exhibits a complex influence on the properties of PVC/PANI/TiO2 nanocomposite films. XRD analysis reveals a non-monotonic response in crystallinity, with an initial increase at lower doses due to crosslinking followed by a decrease at higher doses attributed to polymer chain scission. Mechanical properties exhibit an improvement in tensile strength and Young's modulus at moderate doses (up to 100 kGy) due to crosslinking. However, excessive irradiation (>100 kGy) induces chain degradation, causing a decrease in both tensile strength and elongation at break. Similar dose-dependent behavior is observed in thermal properties, with moderate doses improving thermal stability and melting temperature before a decline at higher doses due to chain degradation. Gamma irradiation significantly affects AC conductivity, suggesting potential changes in structure, charge carrier density, and conduction mechanisms. While the core chemical structure remains largely unaffected, FTIR and UV–Vis spectroscopy analyses indicate alterations in the degree of crosslinking and optical properties, warranting further investigation. Refractive index increases with irradiation due to enhanced density and changes in polarizability. This study highlights the importance of tailoring the gamma irradiation dose to achieve desired properties in PVC/PANI/TiO2 nanocomposite films for various applications.

Releasing characteristics of toxic chemicals from polystyrene microplastics in the aqueous environment during photoaging process

Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive in the environment and inevitably undergo photoaging due to UV irradiation. This study delved into the dynamic releasing and transformation process of toxic chemicals from polystyrene microplastics (PS MPs) during photoaging, a subject that remains underexplored. It was revealed that photoaging led to substantial alterations in the physicochemical properties of PS MPs, initiating polymer chain scission and facilitating the release of a large number of toxic chemicals, including numerous organic compounds and several inorganic compounds. The kinetic analysis revealed a dynamic release pattern for PS MPs, where under varying UV intensities (2, 5, and 10 mW/cm2), the release rate (kDOC) initially increased and then decreased, peaking at a total irradiation energy of approximately 7 kW·h/m2. Furthermore, chemicals in leachate were transformed into compounds with smaller molecular weight, higher oxidized and greater unsaturated state over the prolonged photoaging. This transformation was primarily attributed to two reasons. Firstly, the aged PS MPs released chemicals with higher oxidized state compared to the pristine MPs. Secondly, the chemicals previously released underwent further reactions. Besides, among the complex leachate generated by aged PS MPs, the organic chemicals characterized by small molecular weight and high oxidized state exhibited notable acute toxicity, whereas heavy metal ions showed lesser toxicity, and anions were non-toxic. This study shed more light on the photoaging process of PS MPs, releasing characteristics of organic chemicals, and the potential environmental risks associated with plastic wastes.

Effect of Temperature on Ultrasonic Degradation of Sodium Poly(Styrene Sulfonate): Analysis of Online Viscometric Data with Theoretical Models and Machine Learning Approaches

The effect of temperature (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C) on the ultrasonic degradation of sodium poly(styrene sulfonate) polyelectrolyte (5.10−3 g/ml) in aqueous NaCl solutions (2.75 m) was investigated. Using the thousands of data obtained by an online viscometer monitoring technique, the degradation kinetics, and the effect of temperature on this process were analyzed in detail with 12 theoretical models reported in the literature. The Giz, OHM, and Tang-Goto models were found to give good results, and these models were selected to evaluate the effect of temperature on the ultrasonic polymer degradation. The degradation constant and the limiting molecular weight at which no polymer chain scission occurs were found to decrease with increasing temperature for all models. Furthermore, modeling was performed using popular machine learning algorithms, such as Multilayer Perceptron, Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System, Long Short-Term Memory, Gradient Boosting Regression, Light Gradient Boosting Machine, eXtreme Gradient Boosting Regressor, CatBoost, and Random Forest. The best results were obtained with the Long Short-Term Memory, a deep learning approach. In addition, optimization techniques, such as Particle Swarm Optimization, Genetic Algorithm, Artificial Bee Colony, Clustering, and Global Optimization Method based on a parabolic approach, were used to determine the optimum molecular weight evolution and degradation temperature.

Augmentation of room temperature gas sensing properties of PANI thin films by 100 keV Ar+ ion irradiation

Polyaniline thin films were subjected to irradiation with Ar+ ions at four different concentrations: 1 × 1014, 1 × 1015, 1 × 1016, and 3 × 1016 ions/cm2, with an energy of 100 keV to improve the sensing ability. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) images revealed that the porosity as well as surface area of thin films increase significantly with the increase in fluence dose. The bandgap energy of the irradiated thin films found to decrease from 3.04 to 2.36 eV, whereas, the number of carbon atoms per cluster are found to increase from 127 to 211 atoms with increasing the Ar+ ions dose from 1x1014 to 3x1016 ions/cm2. The ratios of the areas under the curves AQ/AB are increased from 0.221 to 0.456 as the Ar+ ion fluence dose rate rose from 0 to 3 × 1016 ions/cm2. Thus, it can be assumed that the electrical conductivity of the PANI films increase with the Ar+ ion fluence dose rate via carbonaceous clustering, and the scission of polymer chains. The as-deposited PANI thin film demonstrated the lowest sensing response at approximately 33 %, while the thin film irradiated with the highest dose of 3 × 1016 ions/cm2 exhibited the highest sensing response at around 1119 % for methanol vapors at a concentration of 100 ppm.

Unraveling the effects of geometrical parameters on dynamic impact responses of graphene reinforced polymer nanocomposites using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations.

Nacre plays an important role in bionic design due to its light weight, high strength, and structure-function integration. The key to elucidate its reinforcing and toughening mechanisms is to truly characterize its multi-layer structure and properties. In this work, the dynamic impact responses of graphene reinforced polymer nanocomposites with a unique brick-and-mortar structure are investigated using coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations, in which the interfacial coarse-grained force field between graphene and the polymer matrix is derived by the energy matching approach. The influences of various geometrical parameters on dynamic impact responses of the nanocomposites are studied, including the interlayer distance, lateral distance, and number of graphene layers. The results demonstrate that the impact resistance of the nacre-like structure can be significantly improved by tuning the geometrical parameters of graphene layers. It is also found that the chain scission and interchain disentanglement of polymer chains are the main failure mechanisms during the perforation failure process as compared to the stretching and breaking of bonds. In addition, the microstructure analysis is performed to deeply interpret the deformation and damage mechanisms of the nanocomposites during impact. This study could be helpful for the rational design and preparation of graphene reinforced nacre-like nanocomposites with high impact resistance.

ФОТОДЕГРАДАЦИЯ ПОЛУКРИСТАЛЛИЧЕСКОГО ПОЛИЛАКТИДА ПОД ДЕЙСТВИЕМ УФ РАДИАЦИИ. I. ГЕТЕРОФАЗНЫЙ МЕХАНИЗМ РАЦЕМИЗАЦИИ МАКРОМОЛЕКУЛ

The regularities of UV photodegradation of semi-crystalline films of poly-L-lactide (PLA) formed from solution in chloroform have been analyzed on the basis of IR spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography. When analysing the experimental results, we took into account the fact that during the preparation of semi-crystalline films of poly-L-lactide, mechanical stresses accumulate in them. The presence of the latter is the reason why the acts of photodegradation proceeding according to the Norrish I mechanism prevail at the initial stage of the process in imperfect elements of the crystalline phase, in which enantiomerisation and racemisation of PLA macromolecules occur simultaneously with the rupture of polymer chains into radicals. In this work, the role of such important factors as the presence of interfacial stresses stabilising in films at the stage of their formation and the role of triplet energy migration through the system of carbonyl groups are considered for the first time. The imperfectly structured primary elements of the crystalline phase formed in the matrix of solid PLA represent ‘traps’ of triplet energy of photoexcitation migrating along the matrix C=O-groups. In such traps, C-C-bonds are broken on the inner walls of nanoscale slits of imperfect crystallites, and under such harsh conditions, either recombination with restoration of molecular chains or disproportionation of end radicals with fixation of chain fragmentation acts are realised. Acts of recombination of radicals with free valence on carbon atoms are preceded with a small probability by acts of enantiomerization of chiral carbon from the L state into the D state. These acts take place in the middle segments of polymer chains, resulting in the appearance of interchain bonding sites in the form of racemates. During the continuing photoprocess, the acts of macromolecule rupture propagate to the glassy phase of PLA. The observed peculiarities of photodegradation are explained by the heterophase mechanism of transfer of triplet excitation energy by carbonyl C=O-groups of the polymer from the glassy to the crystalline phase, in which C=O-groups not only accept the triplet energy migrating through the matrix, but also transform it into the energy of polymer chain scission.

Surface modification of iron-zinc ions incorporated calcium phosphate biocomposite flexible films for biomedical applications

In this work, the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)-Iron (Fe)-Zinc (Zn) ions incorporated hydroxyapatite nanocomposite films were developed by solvent evaporation technique and exposed to nitrogen 7+ ions implantation on different fluences viz., 1 × 1015, 5 × 1015, and 1 × 1016 ions/cm2 are denoted as PFZH115, PFZH515, and PFZH116 respectively. The N7+ ion implantation modified the surface properties but did not affect the bulk properties of the films. The ion beam implantation leads to the polymer chain scission and free radical formation due to the production of localized heating. The bombardment of the low-energy ions removed the oxygen in the composite matrix resulting in the replacement of nitrogen ions. The ion-induced surface diffusion results in the orientation of polarized dipoles and the reduction of wettability. All the samples are hemocompatible. The formation of craters is due to the continuous impingement of the ion beams that paved the way for the leaching of zinc ions from the hydroxyapatite matrix leading to the increased antimicrobial activity of the films. The surface engineering led to the proliferation of fibroblast cells by 10% which made the ion beam implantation a potential way to fabricate novel bone/dental filling materials in the biomedical field.

Low Molecular Weight Shuttle Molecules Enhance Polychloramide Antimicrobial Activity.

Investigated were the influences of succinimide (SI), 5,5-dimethylhydantoin (DMH), and 3-(hydroxymethyl)-5,5-dimethylhydantoin (HDMH) on the biocidal activity of chlorinated, water-soluble polyamide prepared by the reaction of isopropylamine with poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride). The resulting polymer was a negatively charged, water-soluble polymer bearing a carboxylic acid and an isopropylamide moiety on nearly every repeat unit. Subsequent treatment with NaOCl chlorinated the polymers to up to 4.4% Cl while inflicting some polymer chain scission. SI, DMH, or HDMH increased the biocidal activity of polychloramides toward planktonic Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Independent solution studies confirmed that oxidative chlorine spontaneously transferred from aqueous polychloramides to small molecules. We concluded that SI, DMH, and HDMH acted as shuttles that extracted oxidative Cl from the polymer chloramides and transported oxidative Cl more efficiently to microbial surfaces. Succinimide was the most effective shuttle. These results warn that some low molecular weight soluble molecules in antimicrobial testing solutions may exaggerate the effectiveness of the polymer or immobilized antimicrobial agents.

Frozen, Cold, or Cool? Chemical Assessment of the Effectiveness of Storage Conditions for Celluloid 3D Objects.

Preserving celluloid artifacts is challenging for museums, as this plastic is highly prone to degradation. Frozen, cold, and cool storage solutions are typically recommended for inhibiting the chemical degradation of celluloid. However, they are rarely implemented for three-dimensional celluloid (3D-CN) objects because low temperatures might cause irreversible effects (e.g., microcracking). This work presents the effects of four different storage temperatures (+23 °C, +13 °C, +9 °C, -15 °C) on the preservation of artificially aged 3D-CN mock-ups, aiming at understanding their effectiveness by measuring molecular weight distribution, camphor, and nitrogen contents after storage. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC) results showed that the least loss of camphor content and fewer polymer chain scissions happened at -15 °C, hinting that this temperature was the best for preservation. However, the heterogeneous nature of celluloid alteration, i.e., the development of degradation gradients in thicker 3D-CN objects (>0.5 mm), made it necessary to apply a novel sampling technique, which selectively considers several depths for analyses from the surface to the core (depth profiling). This depth profiling made monitoring the degradation evolution dependent on the storage conditions in the thicker mock-ups possible. This approach was also used for the first time to quantify the polymer chain scission, camphor loss, and denitration of historical artifacts, indicating a dramatic difference in the degradation stage between surface and core. The effectiveness of frozen storage on the chemical stability of 3D-CN after seven months could support museums to consider reducing the storage temperatures to preserve precious artifacts.

The role of ubiquitous metal ions in degradation of microplastics in hot-compressed water

Hydrothermal processing (HTP) is an efficient thermochemical technology to achieve sound treatment and resource recovery of sewage sludge (SS) in hot-compressed subcritical water. However, microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals can be problematic impurities for high-quality nutrients recovery from SS. This study initiated hydrothermal degradation of representative MPs (i.e., polyethylene (PE), polyamide (PA), polypropylene (PP)) under varied temperatures (180–300 °C) to understand the effect of four ubiquitous metal ions (i.e., Fe3+, Al3+, Cu2+, Zn2+) on MPs degradation. It was found that weight loss of all MPs in metallic reaction media was almost four times of that in water media, indicating the catalytic role of metal ions in HTP. Especially, PA degradation at 300 °C was promoted by Fe3+ and Al3+ with remarkable weight loss higher than 95% and 92%, respectively, which was ca. 160 °C lower than that in pyrolysis. Nevertheless, PE and PP were more recalcitrant polymers to be degraded under identical condition. Although higher temperature thermal hydrolysis reaction induced severe chain scission of polymers to reinforce degradation of MPs, Fe3+ and Al3+ ions demonstrated the most remarkable catalytic depolymerization of MPs via enhanced free radical dissociation rather than hydrolysis. Pyrolysis gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (Py GC–MS) was further complementarily applied with GC–MS to reveal HTP of MPs to secondary MPs and nanoplastics. This fundamental study highlights the crucial role of ubiquitous metal ions in MPs degradation in hot-compressed water. HTP could be an energy-efficient technology for effective treatment of MPs in SS with abundant Fe3+ and Al3+, which will benefit sustainable recovery of cleaner nutrients in hydrochar and value-added chemicals or monomers from MPs.

Electron beam irradiation for enhancing the properties of natural rubber latex

Raw rubber must be vulcanized to produce a useful rubber product. Vulcanization is a chemical process that creates crosslinking points between rubber molecules, transforming it into a thermosetting material. This study aimed to prepare vulcanized natural rubber latex containing a sulfur curing package by irradiating it with electron beams at doses of 1–30 kGy. The crosslink density increased with increasing electron doses. Additionally, electron beam irradiation increased the entanglement of rubber molecules, resulting in superior mechanical properties such as modulus, tensile strength, elongation at break, and tear strength in the natural rubber latex. However, when high electron doses (>10 kGy) were applied, the crosslink density reduced owing to polymer degradation or chain scission, leading to inferior mechanical properties. To evaluate the potential of using irradiation as a replacement for conventional vulcanization processes, the properties of natural rubber latex containing a sulfur curing package vulcanized by electron beam irradiation were compared with those vulcanized by heat (conventional process). The mechanical properties of the natural rubber latex vulcanized by electron beam irradiation were superior to those of the rubber vulcanized by heat, with a 40% increase in modulus, 80% increase in tensile strength, 14% increase in elongation at break, and 36% increase in tear strength. According to these findings, electron beam irradiation, which offers high productivity and shorter processing time, is a suitable vulcanization process for natural rubber latex containing a sulfur curing package, with electron doses of 5 and 10 kGy providing superior overall balanced properties.

Micromechanics and damage in slide-ring networks.

We explore the mechanics and damage of slide-ring gels by developing a discrete model for the mechanics of chain-ring polymer systems that accounts for both crosslink motion and internal chain sliding. The proposed framework utilizes an extendable Langevin chain model to describe the constitutive behavior of polymer chains undergoing large deformation and includes a rupture criterion to innately capture damage. Similarly, crosslinked rings are described as large molecules that also store enthalpic energy during deformation and thus have their own rupture criterion. Using this formalism, we show that the realized mode of damage in a slide-ring unit is a function of the loading rate, distribution of segments, and inclusion ratio (number of rings per chain). After analyzing an ensemble of representative units under different loading conditions, we find that failure is driven by damage to crosslinked rings at slow loading rates, but polymer chain scission at fast loading rates. Our results indicate that increasing the strength of the crosslinked rings may improve the toughness of the material.

Mechanochemical Synthesis of Fragile Polymer: Synthesis of a Poly(phenylacetylene) Using a Ball-milling Approach

Mechanochemical synthesis of polymers without scission of the polymer chain remains a challenge. Methods for synthesizing fragile polymers can be applied to the synthesis of other polymers. Herein we report a method to synthesize polymer suppressing polymer chain scission using a mechanochemical synthesis of poly(4-methoxycarbonylphenylacetylene) (P4MCPA), a fragile polymer whose main chain easily undergoes cis-to-trans isomerization under pressure and is cleaved upon heat treatment. By adding solid additives to reactants, P4MCPA with high molecular weights and cis ratio was synthesized.

Super effective antimicrobial silver-sputtered coatings on poly(lactic acid) against bacteria and omicron SARS-CoV-2

Poly(lactic acid) (PLA) is a biopolymer with properties potentially suitable for fabricating packaging, medical devices, and healthcare products in a more friendly environmental way because this polymer presents biodegradability, compostability, low carbon footprint, and recyclability. However, PLA does not present intrinsic antimicrobial properties. Antimicrobial materials are highly desirable for manufacturing smart packaging and personal protective equipment to secure food and health professionals against pathogenic microorganisms. In this work, we evaluated the antimicrobial performance of (Ag)-coated PLA against Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Omicron severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). PLA was rapidly coated with metallic Ag by pulsed direct current magnetron sputtering (pDCMS) for 5, 10, and 20 s. Atomic force microscopy indicates that the Ag coating grows predominantly on the PLA surface via a bulk diffusion mechanism. According to bactericidal and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays, Ag-coated PLA was capable of inhibiting bacterial biofilm formation and disrupting the genetic material of the Omicron SARS-CoV-2. X-ray high-resolution photoelectron and nuclear magnetic resonance results suggest no polymer chain scission in the PLA bulk due to plasma thermal stress effects during Ag sputtering.