Antibacterial and electrochemical evaluation of electrospun polyethersulfone/silver composites as highly persistent nanomaterials

Abstract

Silver‐based antibacterial nanoparticles have demonstrated indices of possible bacterial resistance after consecutive periods of time, limiting their application on antibacterial surfaces. In this work, we fabricate electrospun composites of polyethersulfone (PES) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs), displaying highly‐persistent antibacterial behavior after 10 bacterial expositions. The herein‐reported membranes were synthesized by changing the Ag loading (0.05, 0.5, and 5 wt%), adding polyvinylpyrrolidone as a dispersion promoter, and the resulting composites were evaluated after a different number of bacterial expositions against Escherichia coli (E. coli) aiming to determine their bacterial tolerance. SEM micrographs revealed that the PES fiber diameters decreased as a function of the silver content from 798 to 398 nm, attributed to the conductivity and the viscosity improvement by AgNPs introduction in the polymer solution during the electrospun process. Moreover, the surface roughness (determined by atomic force microscopy) and the contact angle changed with the Ag content, increasing the hydrophilic behavior and promoting a better interaction with the bacteria suspended in the solution. Antibacterial activity kinetics of PES/AgNPs fibers showed 75% bacterial inhibition against E. coli in the composite with 0.5 wt% Ag after 3 h of exposition, and 75% after 1.5 h in composites with 5 wt% of Ag. The ca. 25% survival bacteria were used for consecutive bacterial tolerance assays, where the antibacterial behavior was constant after 10 expositions. Interestingly, electrochemical tests confirmed that PES fibers could control the silver‐releasing process. Thus, PES/AgNPs composites avoid the bacterial adaptation process, which makes them suitable as functional antimicrobial nanomaterials.

Synthesis of graphene oxide and their incorporation in nanostructured polyethersulfone membranes: Study of antibacterial and dyes adsorption properties

“…The above suggests that the chemical composition of PES (aromatic rings with intercalated –SO 2 groups) can produce antibacterial behavior, according to our previous work. [ 43 ] However, the fibers with GO nanosheets enhance the AA of ca. 80%–90%, respectively.…”

“…Some advantages of the use of nanostructures as additives in PES membranes include the enhancement of permeability, selectivity, high resistance to fouling, solute avoidance, processability, and high dimensional stability, [18,19] in addition to their antibacterial behavior against Gram (+) and Gram (À) microorganisms. [20,21] However, the poor nanoparticle dispersion into the membrane can generate a loss of selectivity and decrease their mechanical performance. [22,23] It has been claimed that carbon-derived nanostructures embedded in PES enhance the pure water flux, salts rejection, and heavy metals removal, attributed to the nanoparticles amount and their dispersion in the polymer matrix, [22,24,25] due to their enhanced surface reactive area, capable of adsorbing dyes.…”

Copper-Nanoparticle-Coated Melt-Blown Facemask Filter with Antibacterial and SARS-CoV-2 Antiviral Ability

“…7−9 The development of polymers containing antimicrobial nanoparticles results in hybrid biomaterials with improved physicochemical properties and bioactivity attributed to the enhanced reactive surface area of nanomaterials. 10,11 Copper nanoparticles (CuNPs) are inexpensive materials with extraordinary performance as antibacterial and antiviral agents. CuNPs have been reported to impair several stages of the virus life cycle.…”

“…Furthermore, from an ecological perspective, the fabrication of self-cleansing reusable respirators might resolve the challenges with microplastic waste caused by disposable masks . An increasing number of reports are available on superhydrophobic surface coating approaches for antiviral, antimicrobial, and reusable facemasks, air filters, and other medical textiles with metal nanoparticles or carbon nanotubes and graphene. − The development of polymers containing antimicrobial nanoparticles results in hybrid biomaterials with improved physicochemical properties and bioactivity attributed to the enhanced reactive surface area of nanomaterials. , …”

Boron carbide reinforced electrospun nanocomposite fiber mats for radiation shielding

“…Electrospinning is a feasible and cost-effective method for mass-producing thin polymer films and fiber mats. [26][27][28][29][30][31][32] On the other hand, the electrospinning process mostly utilized to manufacture biocompatible polymers for tissue engineering and biomedical applications since it can swiftly produce biopolymer fibers without creating any changes in the polymeric structure. [33][34][35][36][37][38] This method's operating mechanism begins with the creation of a stable solution.…”