A Bacteria and Cell Repellent Zwitterionic Polymer Coating on Titanium Base Substrates towards Smart Implant Devices

Abstract

Biofouling and biofilm formation on implant surfaces are serious issues that more than often lead to inflammatory reactions and the necessity of lengthy post-operation treatments or the removal of the implant, thus entailing a protracted healing process. This issue may be tackled with a biocompatible polymeric coating that at the same time prevents biofouling. In this work, oxygen plasma-activated silanized titanium substrates are coated with poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate), a zwitterionic antibiofouling polymer, using photopolymerization. The characterization of polymer films includes FT-IR, AFM, and adhesion strength measurements, where adhesion strength is analyzed using a cylindrical flat punch indenter and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. Both cytotoxicity analysis with primary human fibroblasts and fluorescence microscopy with fibroblasts and plaque bacteria are also performed is this work, with each procedure including seeding on coated and control surfaces. The film morphology obtained by the AFM shows a fine structure akin to nanoropes. The coatings can resist ultrasonic and sterilization treatments. The adhesion strength properties substantially increase when the films are soaked in 0.51 M of NaCl prior to testing when compared to deionized water. The coatings are superhydrophilic with a WCA of 10° that increases to 15° after dry aging. The viability of fibroblasts in the presence of coated substrates is comparable to that of bare titanium. When in direct contact with fibroblasts or bacteria, marginal adhesion for both species occurs on coating imperfections. Because photopolymerization can easily be adapted to surface patterning, smart devices that promote both osseointegration (in non-coated areas) and prevent cell overgrowth and biofilm formation (in coated areas) demonstrate practical potential.

Introducing a Novel Experimental Model for Osseo-Disintegration of Titanium Dental Implants Induced by Monobacterial Contamination: An In-Vivo Feasibility Study

“…There is an ongoing need for feasible experimental models in peri-implantitis research due to the growing number of novel therapeutic approaches such as photodynamic therapy [30] or implant surface modifications [31,32]. Despite its limitation regarding the lack of mimicking the multi-bacterial characteristics of the oral flora, the current experimental model could be an appropriate option to realize a significant alteration of dental-implant osseointegration and allow the examination of novel surface decontamination techniques without impairing local and systemic inflammatory complications.…”

Single‐molecule fluorescence microscopy for imaging chemical reactions: Recent progress and future opportunities for advancing polymer systems

“…With the growth of the adhesives and coatings industries, more single-molecule techniques can be employed to characterize industrial products to decipher mechanisms for application, drying, and adhesion. 38,239,240,247 In a recent work, Rueckel et al investigated film formation mechanism and solvent transport of polyacrylate films with single-molecule fluorescence and a 1,2-bis [4-(3-sulfonatopropoxyl) phenyl]-1,2-diphenylethylene (BSPOTPE) fluorescent dye, which was used due to its water sensitivity (Figure 14). 38 Through the combined effects of AIE and the non-fluorescent properties in moisture-rich environments, an inverted confocal laserscanning microscope captured the localized movement of water as films dried.…”

Zwitterionic Hydrogel Coating with Antisediment Properties for Marine Antifouling Applications

“…Thus, a universal, durable, and easily applicable method of coating zwitterionic materials on conventional hydrophobic substrates is key to their actual applications. Many strategies have been applied to attach zwitterionic materials to conventional substrates, including grafting, , plasma treatment, , and initiator-buried hydrogel skin. , Most of them require complex pretreatments of the substrate and strict reaction conditions, limiting the complete coverage on complex structures and at a large scale. An easily taped hydrogel coating by superglue was published by our lab, and this design achieved easy operation, zero bacterial adhesion, and long durability of up to 3 months …”