Bacteriostatic Effect of Piezoelectric Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate and Polyvinylidene Fluoride Polymer Films under Ultrasound Treatment

Abstract

Antibiotic resistance of bacteria stimulates the development of new treatment approaches. Piezoelectric-catalysis has attracted much attention due to the possibility to effectively provide antibacterial effect via generation of reactive oxygen species. However, the influence of the surface charge or potential of a piezopolymer on bacteria has not been sufficiently studied so far. This study reports the fabrication and characterization of thin films of piezoelectric polyhydroxybutyrate, polyvinylidene fluoride, and polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene as well as non-piezoelectric polycaprolactone polymers fabricated using solution casting approach. The piezoelectric coefficient (d33) and surface electric peak-to-peak potential generated by the cyclic mechanical stress applied to the films were measured. Neither any toxic effect of the polymer films nor ultrasound influence on Escherichia coli bacteria behavior is observed. However, significant inhibition of the growth of bacteria is revealed during mechanical stimulation of piezoelectric samples via ultrasound treatment. Thus, this study demonstrates clear bacteriostatic effect of piezoelectric polymers for different tissue engineering applications.

Effect of ultrasound treatment on bacteriostatic activity of piezoelectric PHB‐TiO2 hybrid biodegradable scaffolds prepared by electrospinning technique

“…This is consistent with the findings of Vatlin, I.S. et al 2020 suggesting that the effect of U/S treatment on piezoelectric materials can result in bacterial inhibition 51 …”

“…et al 2020 suggesting that the effect of U/S treatment on piezoelectric materials can result in bacterial inhibition. 51 Activation of piezoelectric particles with external U/S treatment to generate electric charges in situ has recently attracted attention that U/S waves have been used to mechanically activate NPs, thereby directly generating electric charges in situ by utilizing the piezoelectric effect. 4 The biocidal effect of the antimicrobial nanocomposites based on titanium (TiO 2 ), which have been intensively studied in recent years, results from the modulation of charge carriers (electron holes) at the interface of the outer surface of the material with photoactivation of the oxide component.…”

Multifunctional Dental Composite with Piezoelectric Nanofillers for Combined Antibacterial and Mineralization Effects

“…The antibacterial effects elicited by different ferroelectric/piezoelectric biomaterials such as BTO, zinc oxide, and PVDF against both Gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and Gram-negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) bacteria have recently been explored. 27,45 The surface charge provided by the inherent electrical polarization of the materials has been shown to kill bacteria by destroying the cell wall upon contact. These materials showed a reduction in bacterial load of up to 70% over surfaces 28 and up to 99% in the planktonic state.…”

Physically Switchable Antimicrobial Surfaces and Coatings: General Concept and Recent Achievements

“…The harvesting of mechanical energy and its conversion to electro-chemical potential led to the production of ROS, ensuring bacterial cell disruption [171]. Such kind of material protection was demonstrated using the BaTiO 3 material, which is known for its high piezoelectric coefficient, but recently was also reported for polymer films with lower piezo-coefficient [172].…”