Speaker
Description
The need for constant improvements of wound dressing materials and advancement of their properties is an ever-present element of biomaterials science research. The biomaterials field is always evolving towards finding new wound dressing formulations which can provide active protection of the wound from bacterial infections, rather than just being a passive barrier for infiltration of bacteria. Hydrogel-based materials are especially interesting for such a purpose, considering their favorable biocompatibility, sorption and mechanical properties, as well as the potential for immobilization and incorporation of antibacterial agents, such as silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). The synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) became very interesting for potential applications in biomedicine, since nanocrystalline silver is proved to be the most efficient antimicrobial agent with a wide inhibiting spectrum towards different types of microorganisms. AgNPs embedded in hydrogel matrices are attractive for biomedical applications due to possibility for their controlled release resulting in antimicrobial activity. Thus, combination of AgNPs with biocompatible hydrogels, poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and chitosan (CHI), provides potential for design of improved medical treatments and devices (antimicrobial wound dressings, soft tissue implants). Graphene (Gr) has exceptional mechanical properties and has therefore been applied as adequate reinforcing component for composite materials. In this work, we attempt to synthesize new wound dressing materials with electrochemically synthesized silver nanoparticles. First, the PVA/Gr and PVA/CHI/Gr hydrogels were produced by freezing–thawing method and then swollen in AgNO3 precusor solution. In the second step, incorporation of AgNPs nanoparticles into PVA/Gr and PVA/CHI/Gr matrices was achieved by in situ electrochemical reduction of Ag ions at constant voltage. Synthesized nanocomposites were characterized by UV-Vis, CV, FE-SEM, Raman, AAS, FT-IR, as well as by MTT cytotoxicity tests and test of antibacterial activity against pathogenic bacteria strain Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The results indicated that both Ag/PVA/CHI/Gr and Ag/PVA/CHI hydrogels are excellent candidates for soft tissue implants and wound dressings [1-3].
References:
[1] K. Nešović, A. Janković, V. Kojić, M. Vukašinović-Sekulić, A. Perić-Grujić, K.Y. Rhee, V. Mišković-Stanković, Compos. Part B Eng., 154, 2018, 175-185.
[2] K. Nešović, A. Janković, T. Radetić, M. Vukašinović-Sekulić, V. Kojić, Lj. Živković, A. Perić-Grujić, K.Y. Rhee, V. Mišković-Stanković, Eur. Polym. J., 121, 2019, 109257.
[3] K. Nešović, A. Janković, A. Perić-Grujić, M. Vukašinović-Sekulić, T. Radetić, Lj.Živković, S.-J. Park, K.Y. Rhee, V. Mišković-Stanković, J. Ind. Eng. Chem., 77, 2019, 83-96.
Keywords: hydrogels, poly(vinyl alcohol), silver nanoparticles.
