Ionic liquid as antibacterial agent for an experimental orthodontic adhesive

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Dental Materials

Background:

• Orthodontic adhesives are prone to biofilm formation and demineralization.
• Developing antibacterial materials can mitigate these issues around dental brackets.
• Ionic liquids offer potential as antimicrobial agents in dental applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To formulate and evaluate experimental orthodontic adhesives containing varying concentrations of 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazoilium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (BMIM.NTf2).
• To assess the impact of BMIM.NTf2 on the physico-chemical properties, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity of the orthodontic adhesives.

Main Methods:

• Experimental orthodontic adhesives were formulated with methacrylate monomers, photoinitiators, and silica colloidal.
• 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazoilium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide (BMIM.NTf2) was synthesized and incorporated at 5%, 10%, and 15% concentrations.
• Adhesives were evaluated for polymerization kinetics, degree of conversion, hardness, solvent resistance, tensile strength, bond strength, thermal stability, antibacterial activity, and cytotoxicity.

Main Results:

• Adhesives with 10% and 15% BMIM.NTf2 showed significantly higher degrees of conversion.
• All groups containing BMIM.NTf2 exhibited significant antibacterial activity compared to the control group.
• No significant differences were observed in softening, ultimate tensile strength, shear bond strength, or cytotoxicity.

Conclusions:

• Incorporating 5 wt.% of BMIM.NTf2 into orthodontic adhesive effectively reduces biofilm formation.
• The addition of BMIM.NTf2 does not negatively impact the physico-chemical properties or cytotoxicity of the experimental adhesive.
• This ionic liquid shows promise as an antibacterial agent for orthodontic applications.