Photoantibacterial Poly(vinyl)chloride Films Applying Curcumin Derivatives as Bio-Based Plasticizers and...

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Chemistry
• Photochemistry

Background:

• Phthalate plasticizers in PVC pose environmental and health concerns.
• Curcumin, a natural compound, offers potential for developing safer alternatives.
• Developing photosensitive materials requires novel additive strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel curcumin ester and ether derivatives.
• To evaluate these derivatives as bioplasticizers for producing phthalate-free PVC materials.
• To assess the photosensitive properties and antimicrobial efficacy of the developed PVC-based materials.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of curcumin ester and ether derivatives.
• Preparation and characterization of PVC-based films with varying loadings of curcumin derivatives.
• Evaluation of plasticizing effects using standard solid-state characterization techniques.
• Testing antimicrobial activity against S. aureus planktonic cultures under irradiation.

Main Results:

• Curcumin derivatives effectively plasticized PVC, comparable to traditional phthalates.
• The synthesized PVC-based materials exhibited photosensitive properties.
• A strong structure-activity relationship was observed in the photoinactivation of S. aureus.
• Significant log CFU reduction (up to 6) was achieved at low irradiation intensities.

Conclusions:

• Novel curcumin derivatives can serve as effective bioplasticizers for PVC.
• Phthalate-free, photosensitive PVC materials with antimicrobial properties were successfully developed.
• These materials demonstrate potential for applications requiring light-activated inactivation of bacteria.