Boron Nitride Doped Polyhydroxyalkanoate/Chitosan Nanocomposite for Antibacterial and Biological Applications

Abstract

The present research focused on the fabrication of biocompatible polyhydroxyalkanoate, chitosan, and hexagonal boron nitride incorporated (PHA/Ch-hBN) nanocomposites through a simple solvent casting technique. The fabricated nanocomposites were comprehensively characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscope (FT-IR), field emission scanning electroscope (FESEM), and elemental mapping and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The antibacterial activity of nanocomposites were investigated through time-kill method against multi drug resistant (MDR) microbes such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) K1 strains. In addition, nanocomposites have examined for their host cytotoxicity abilities using a Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay against spontaneously immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell lines. The results demonstrated highly significant antibacterial activity against MDR organisms and also significant cell viability as compared to the positive control. The fabricated PHA/Ch-hBN nanocomposite demonstrated effective antimicrobial and biocompatibility properties that would feasibly suit antibacterial and biomedical applications.

Interactions Between 2D Materials and Living Matter: A Review on Graphene and Hexagonal Boron Nitride Coatings

“…The antibacterial activity of a polyhydroxyalkanoate, chitosan, and hBN-incorporated nanocomposite was investigated through a time-kill method against multi drug resistant bacteria, such as methicillin-resistant S. aureus and E. coli (K1 strains) bacteria. The results showed significant antibacterial activity ( Mukheem et al, 2019 ). BN nanosheets produced by chemical exfoliation and subsequently doped with varying concentrations of Cu showed excellent catalytic activity for dye degradation and treatment of industrial wastewater.…”

“…hBN layers have a AA’ stacking configuration bonded by van der Waals (VdW) forces (with interlayer distance of 3.33 Å) ( Wang et al, 2017 ). Having analogous structure but insulating electrical behavior, hBN is sometimes referred to as “white graphene.” hBN features properties such as high hydrophobicity, thermal insulation, electrical insulation, low dielectric constant, resistance to oxidation, high chemical stability, and mechanical strength ( Mahvash et al, 2017 ; Chilkoor et al, 2018 ; Merlo et al, 2018 ; Emanet et al, 2019 ; Mukheem et al, 2019 ). Due to these properties, 2D BN-based materials have also demonstrated potential in antibacterial coatings ( Mukheem et al, 2019 ), as well as applications in the biomedical field – such as wound healing ( Şen et al, 2019 ), and bone tissue regeneration ( Şen et al, 2019 ; Aki et al, 2020 ).…”

Assessment of Physico-Chemical and Toxicological Properties of Commercial 2D Boron Nitride Nanopowder and Nanoplatelets

“…The study of pristine and functionalized BN nanostructures as potential antimicrobial agents, through in vitro and in silico experimental approaches, have recently attracted the interest of researchers as well [ 17 , 26 , 27 ], aiming to develop polymer based biomedical devices protected against bacterial proliferation. 2D BN nanoparticles incorporated in polyhydroxybutyrate chitosan matrixes behaved as antibacterial agents against multi drug resistant Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strains, while showing good biocompatibility towards immortalized human keratinocytes (HaCaT) cell lines [ 28 ]. Similarly, BN flakes present in extruded low density polyethylene polymers displayed a bactericidal effect when evaluated against E. coli, S. aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , strains [ 29 ].…”

Eco-Friendly, Green Packaging Materials from Akaganeite and Hematite Nanoparticle-Reinforced Chitosan Nanocomposite Films

“…Chitin is extracted by the exoskeleton of crustaceans such as shrimps and crab shells [5][6][7]. Chitosan exhibits superior properties such as nontoxicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties [8][9][10][11][12]. This unique biopolymer is widely applied in various fields including agriculture [13], food packaging [14][15][16], textiles [10], bioengineering, and medicine [17,18].…”