Development and Research of Polyurethane Foam Composite Materials With Lysozyme

Abstract

The article is devoted to the development and research of the structure and properties of polyurethane foam (PUF) composite materials with the antibacterial enzyme lysozyme. A series of PUF composite materials with lysozyme of various concentrations (1, 3 and 5 wt %) were obtained. It is established that the immobilization of lysozyme occurs due to intermolecular hydrogen bonds by the method of IR spectroscopy. According to the results of physical-mechanical tests the adhesive strength of polyurethane foam compositions with lysozyme is in the range of 0,82–1,16 MPa. The introduction of lysozyme into the composition of polyurethane foams and an increase its amount causes a decrease in the values of adhesion strength by 18,1–29,3 %. According to differential scanning calorimetry the tested systems are single-phase with a glass transition temperature in the range of -49,20 to -49,86 °C. The introduction of lysozyme into the composition causes an increase heating capacity at the glass transition, which can be associated with a decrease of the packing density of macrochains resulting in an increase in free volume, which leads to an increase molecular mobility. According to the results of the analysis of transmission optical microscopy micrographs the studied PUF have a microporous structure, which depends on the content of filler in their composition. It was found that the presence of lysozyme in the composition of composite materials leads to a decrease in the percentage of porosity, an increase in the number of pores with a diameter of up to 300 μm, which is 76,7–82,4 % (while for PUF – 69,5 %) and the absence of pores with a diameter larger than 990 μm. Thermogravimetric characteristics indicate the heat resistance of the synthesized PUF to a temperature of 179,95 °C, which allows dry sterilization of samples without changing their characteristics. PUF composite materials with lysozyme are promising materials that can be used in medical practice as polymer compositions for the treatment of wounds and burns.