Magnetically Cured Macroradical Epoxy as Antimicrobial Coating

Abstract

The radical-bearing epoxy monomer could be the ideal embodiment of multifunctionality in epoxy-based materials. This study demonstrates the potential of macroradical epoxies as surface coating materials. A diepoxide monomer derivatized with a stable nitroxide radical is polymerized with a diamine hardener under the influence of a magnetic field. The magnetically oriented and stable radicals in the polymer backbone render the coatings antimicrobial. The unconventional use of magnets during polymerization proved crucial in correlating the structureproperty relationships with antimicrobial performance inferred from oscillatory rheological technique, polarized macro-attenuated total reflectance -infrared (macro-ATR-IR) spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The magnetic thermal curing influenced the surface morphology, resulting in a synergy of the coating's radical nature with microbiostatic performance assessed using the Kirby-Bauer test and liquid chromatography -mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). Further, the magnetic curing of blends with a traditional epoxy monomer demonstrates that radical alignment is more critical than radical density in imparting biocidal behavior. This study shows how the systematic use of magnets during polymerization could pave for probing more significant insights into the mechanism of antimicrobial action in radical-bearing polymers.

Review of Approaches to Minimise the Cost of Simulation-Based Optimisation for Liquid Composite Moulding Processes

“…Currently, large-scale composite manufacturing is commonly achieved via liquid composite moulding processes [1][2][3][4]. The utilisation of numerical process simulation has greatly facilitated the challenging task of LCM process optimisation, providing ease of solution evaluation at a significantly reduced cost compared to complete reliance on physical prototyping.…”