Development of Nanocomposites Reinforced with Carboxylated Poly(ether ether ketone) Grafted to Zinc Oxide with Superior Antibacterial Properties

Abstract

Novel poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) based nanocomposites have been fabricated via melt-blending by addition of a carboxylated polymer derivative covalently grafted onto the surface of hydroxyl-terminated ZnO nanoparticles. Their morphology, thermal, mechanical, tribological, and antibacterial properties have been analyzed and compared with those of composites reinforced with pristine ZnO. The Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra corroborate the success of the grafting reaction, showing the appearance of signals related to ester linkages. Microscopic observations demonstrate that the polymer grafting improves the nanoparticle dispersion within the matrix. A progressive rise in thermal stability and flame retardant ability is found with increasing ZnO concentration, with an exceptional increment in the maximum degradation rate temperature of 70 °C at 5.0 wt % loading. The crystallization and melting temperature of PEEK decrease upon incorporation of the grafted nanofillers, attributed to the restrictions on polymer chain mobility and crystal growth imposed by the strong ZnO-matrix interactions. Nanocomposites with polymer-grafted nanoparticles exhibit higher stiffness, strength, ductility, toughness and glass transition temperature whilst lower coefficient of friction and wear rate than the neat polymer and composites with bare ZnO. Further, they show superior antibacterial activity against both the Gram-negative Escherichia coli and the Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. The antimicrobial effect increases upon raising nanoparticle content, and is stronger on E. coli. The approach used in this work is a simple, scalable, and efficient method to improve the performance of PEEK/ZnO nanocomposites for use in biomedical applications such as trauma, orthopedics, and spinal implants.

Preparation of photocrosslinked sol-gel composites based on urethane-acrylic matrix, silsesquioxane sequences, TiO2, and Ag/Au Nanoparticles for use in photocatalytic applications

“…The variation of this factor is relatively low (±50 kJ/m 3 ) in the hybrid composites series, suggesting a comparable toughness of the samples. This outcome is not surprising according to the literature data assuming that for composite materials, the toughness seems to be very sensitive to the quality of the dispersion of the filler and to its interfacial adhesion with the matrix . Therefore, even if the Young modulus variation is significant, the homogeneous dispersion and the enhanced interconnectivity between the TiO 2 nanoparticles and organic matrix lead to ductile hybrid composite materials.…”

“…This outcome is not surprising according to the literature data assuming that for composite materials, the toughness seems to be very sensitive to the quality of the dispersion of the filler and to its interfacial adhesion with the matrix. 51 Therefore, even if the Young modulus variation is significant, the homogeneous dispersion and the enhanced interconnectivity between the TiO 2 nanoparticles and organic matrix lead to ductile hybrid composite materials. Still, the incorporation of noble metal nanoparticles inside the photopolymerized sol-gel films favors a small decrease of toughness, assuming the lowering of interfacial adhesion between the phases.…”

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)/ZnO Bionanocomposites with Improved Mechanical, Barrier and Antibacterial Properties

“…These environmentally friendly nanomaterials possess exceptional mechanical properties, low coefficient of thermal expansion and high thermal conductivity, thus are ideal to be used as reinforcing fillers in polymer composites. In particular, ZnO nanoparticles have been shown to be very effective for enhancing the mechanical performance, barrier and/or antibacterial properties of polymers such as poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) [17,18], poly(lactic acid) (PLA) [19,20] and polycaprolactone (PCL) [21]. …”

Effects of individual and sequential irradiation with atomic oxygen and protons on the surface structure and tribological performance of polyetheretherketone in a simulated space environment

“…[3][4][5][6][7] The cosmic space has many rigorous environmental factors including high vacuum, thermal cycles, ultraviolet rays, atomic oxygen, proton irradiation, electron irradiation and so on, which could severely affect the service life and reliability of mechanical equipment. 1,2 Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as one of the high performance engineering thermoplastic polymers has attracted increasing interest due to its attractive physical and chemical properties, such as excellent mechanical properties, good chemical resistance and high long-term working temperatures, and is considered to be one of the most prospective polymers for biomedical applications, the automotive industry, electronics and spacecra design among various polymers.…”