Antimicrobial Polymers for Anti-biofilm Medical Devices: State-of-Art and Perspectives

Abstract

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Synthesis, Characterization, and Bacterial Fouling-Resistance Properties of Polyethylene Glycol-Grafted Polyurethane Elastomers

“…made over the years to improve the bacterial fouling resistance of polyurethanes, in order to reduce the incidence of bloodstream infections [8]. Traditionally, antimicrobial or antifouling polyurethanes were obtained by the adsorption/conjugation of drugs or antiseptics [9][10][11][12][13]. More recently, research efforts have been focused on either the use of natural compounds with anti-biofilm properties [14][15][16][17], or on the development of intrinsically antimicrobial and antifouling materials, by either physical or chemical technological approaches [17][18][19][20].…”

Recent Advances in Antimicrobial Polymers: A Mini-Review

“…However, although passive surfaces repel bacteria, they do not actively interact with or kill bacteria. Due to the mainly hydrophobic and negatively-charged properties of microbes, passive polymers should be either (1) hydrophilic; (2) negatively-charged; or (3) have a low surface free energy ( Figure 1 ) [ 8 , 30 ]. Typical passive polymers comprise (1) self-healing, slippery liquid-infused porous surface (SLIPS), such as poly(dimethyl siloxane); (2) uncharged polymers, such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline), polypeptoid, polypoly( n -vinyl-pyrrolidone), and poly(dimethyl acrylamide); and (3) charged polyampholytes and zwitterionic polymers, such as phosphobetaine, sulfobetaine, and phospholipid polymers [ 31 , 32 ].…”

Hyaluronic Acid Reduces Bacterial Fouling and Promotes Fibroblasts’ Adhesion onto Chitosan 2D-Wound Dressings

“…However, different factors, such us microbial contamination of the wound bed and oxidative stress at the wound level as a consequence of diseases (diabetes and cardiovascular diseases), can slow down or hamper tissue regeneration processes (chronic wounds) [7]. There is, therefore, a clinical demand to develop novel antimicrobial materials [8,9] that, besides physically protecting the wound, could protect also from infection.…”