A Study of 3D-Printable Reinforced Composite Resin: PMMA Modified with Silver Nanoparticles Loaded Cellulose Nanocrystal

Abstract

With the rapid application of light-curing 3D printing technology, the demand for high-performance polymer resins is increasing. Existing light-curable resins often have drawbacks limiting their clinical applications. This study aims to develop a new type of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) composite resins with enhanced mechanical properties, high antibacterial activities and excellent biocompatibilities. A series of reinforced composite resins were prepared by mechanically mixing PMMA with modified cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which were coated with polydopamine and decorated by silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) via Tollen reaction. The morphology of CNCs-Ag was observed by transmission electron microscopy and the formation of AgNPs on CNCs was confirmed by X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses. Functional groups in PMMA-CNCs-Ag composites were verified by Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectroscopy. The mechanical assessment and scanning electron microscopy analysis suggested that the evenly distributed CNCs-AgNPs composite effectively improve mechanical properties of PMMA resin. Cytotoxicity assay and antibacterial activity tests indicated excellent biocompatibility and high antibacterial activities. Furthermore, PMMA with CNCs-AgNPs of 0.1 wt.% (PMMA-CNCs-AgNPs-0.1) possessed the most desirable mechanical properties owing to the homogeneous distribution of AgNPs throughout the resin matrix. This specific composite resin can be used as a functional dental restoration material with potential of other medical applications.

Durable Oral Biofilm Resistance of 3D-Printed Dental Base Polymers Containing Zwitterionic Materials

“…Numerous attempts have been made to impart antibacterial and biofouling properties to PMMA-based dental devices; these include the incorporation of silver nanoparticles/ions [ 5 ], titanium dioxide [ 21 ], and other nanomaterials [ 22 ]. However, the durability of the added agents has often been questioned, and the fabricated materials have shown limited mechanical strength for the long-term application in functional dental parts.…”

“…In recent years, major advancements in the application of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in dentistry has led to the production of patient-specific prostheses in a cost-effective and time-saving manner [ 3 , 4 ]. 3D-printing materials that are commonly used for dental restoration include the light-curing polymer resin which produce 3D-printed products by converting liquid matters to a solid under the action of light such as ultraviolet or visible light with technology such as stereolithography (SLA) [ 5 ]. PMMA has also been commonly used as an SLA-printable dental material, owing to its favorable properties such as light-curability, flexibility, formability, biocompatibility, and cost-effectiveness [ 1 , 6 ].…”

TiO2 and PEEK Reinforced 3D Printing PMMA Composite Resin for Dental Denture Base Applications

“…The bacterial concentration was adjusted to 10 7 CFU/mL by the addition of Luria-Bertani (LB) liquid medium. Each sample was added to the bacterial medium at a ratio of 1.25 cm 2 /mL of bacterial surface area and incubated in a CO 2 incubator at 37 °C for 24 h. Then, 20 μL of the bacterial solution was taken and uniformly seeded on the LB agar plate, and the growth of the colony was observed after incubation at 37 °C for 24 h. Another 100 μL of the bacterial solution after the first 24 h incubation was taken to measure the optical density (OD) value of the bacterial solution at a wavelength of 450 nm, as previously described [42].…”

“…To test the compatibility of the newly prepared PMMA-TiO 2 -KH570-PEEK composite resin, denture models were printed using a Vida model of a digital light projection (DLP) photocuring 3D printing system (Envision Tech, Gladbeck, Germany) as previous described [42]. Briefly, a functional model of maxillary edentulou arch was scanned using a DL-100 intraoral scanner (Guangdong Langcheng Medical Device Technology Co. Ltd., Guangdong, China).…”

Extending Cellulose-Based Polymers Application in Additive Manufacturing Technology: A Review of Recent Approaches

“…In addition, silver nanoparticles loaded with CNC were dispersed in polymethyl metharcylate to investigate the reinforcement in terms of mechanical and antimicrobial activities [ 110 ]. CNC grafted with dopamine and loaded in silver nanoparticles, as shown in Figure 6 , improved the dispersion of silver nanoparticle–CNC composites in the polymer resin, as observed in its morphology.…”