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Grafted thermo- and pH responsive co-polymers: surface-properties and bacterial adsorption
Carolina de Las Heras Alarcón1, Beverley Twaites, David Cunliffe
1School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Science, University of Portsmouth, White Swan Road, Portsmouth PO1 2DT, UK.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|April 26, 2005
Summary
Responsive polymers grafted to surfaces change properties with pH and temperature. Bacterial attachment increased above the polymer transition temperature, highlighting the role of surface hydrophobicity in controlling microbial adhesion.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Microbiology
Background:
- Responsive polymers offer tunable surface properties for various applications.
- Controlling bacterial adhesion is crucial in biomedical and industrial settings.
- Surface-induced bacterial behavior is influenced by material characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize pH and temperature-responsive polymers.
- To investigate the impact of polymer phase transitions on bacterial adsorption.
- To correlate surface property changes with bacterial attachment.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of N-isopropylacrylamide and omega-carboxylic acid functionalised acrylamides.
- Grafting polymers onto surfaces and characterization using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and contact angle measurements.
- Assessing short-term adsorption of Salmonella typhimurium and Bacillus cereus.
Main Results:
- Polymers exhibited pH and temperature-mediated phase changes, altering surface morphology and adhesion forces.
- Surface properties were pH and temperature-dependent, confirmed by contact angle studies.
- Bacterial attachment increased significantly above the polymer coil-globule transition temperature, correlating with increased surface hydrophobicity.
Conclusions:
- Surface hydrophobicity switching, driven by polymer phase transitions, is key to controlling bacterial adsorption.
- Responsive polymer surfaces can be engineered to modulate microbial attachment.
- This study provides insights into designing surfaces for targeted bacterial interaction.