(431b) Biocompatible Nanocomposites with Anti-Biofilm Activity: Strategies for Sustainable Manufacturing and Utilization in the Biomedical Applications

Recently, the demand has substantially increased to develop to develop biocompatible nanocomposites that interface with human skin and tissues for advancing prosthetics and other therapeutic medical needs. Human skin has robust innate defense system that prevents bacteria from invading lower layers and thereby prevent infections. Bacteria tend to form biofilms mainly on solid surfaces such as prosthetics, catheters and impeded devices. The biofilms typically contain large colonies of bacteria covered with slime of polysaccharides, proteins and DNA, thus, the biofilms are more resistant to antimicrobial treatment and very difficult to exterminate. Therefore, the desired nano-material should have the ability to prevent or reduce biofilm formation to reduce the risk of infection at the prosthetic and human skin or tissue interface.

This presentation will outline two strategies, which have a great potential for the sustainable manufacturing of anti-biofilm composites at the large industrial scales. The first strategy includes the fabrication of nanocomposites containing polypropylene (PP) matrix and ultra-low metallic silver content (< 0.05 wt%) using the physical vapor deposition sputtering (PVD) and the nano-coating fragmentation techniques. This strategy allowed the production of nano-coated PP pellets having metal Ag particles of thickness of about 25.3 ± 0.5 nm and a content up to 0.046wt%. The pellets were used to make filaments for 3D printing of prosthetics and other smart structures for biomedical applications. The second strategy included the impregnation of Ag nanoparticles (AgNPs) within sustainable chitosan structures using the strong interactions between the amine groups of the chitosan and the AgNPs. Such interaction prevented the possibility of AgNPs leaching out the composite the structures. Electrospun nanofibers of chitosan/AgNPs/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) nanocomposites were then fabricated and tested for antimicrobial wound dressing applications. The talk will details the thermal, thermo-mechanical, morphological, cytotoxicity and anti-biofilm characteristics of the nanocomposites as well as their 3D printing into prosthetic implants and other structures for biomedical applications.