Progress in Conductive Polyaniline-Based Nanocomposites for Biomedical Applications: A Review

Abstract

Inherently conducting polymers (ICPs) are a specific category of synthetic polymers with distinctive electro-optic properties, which involve conjugated chains with alternating single and double bonds. Polyaniline (PANI), as one of the most well-known ICPs, has outstanding potential applications in biomedicine because of its high electrical conductivity and biocompatibility caused by its hydrophilic nature, low-toxicity, good environmental stability, and nanostructured morphology. Some of the limitations in the use of PANI, such as its low processability and degradability, can be overcome by the preparation of its blends and nanocomposites with various (bio)­polymers and nanomaterials, respectively. This review describes the state-of-the-art of biological activities and applications of conductive PANI-based nanocomposites in the biomedical fields, such as antimicrobial therapy, drug delivery, biosensors, nerve regeneration, and tissue engineering. The latest progresses in the biomedical applications of PANI-based nanocomposites are reviewed to provide a background for future research.

Metal‐Based Nanomaterials in Biomedical Applications: Antimicrobial Activity and Cytotoxicity Aspects

“…Different mechanisms are utilized by pathogens for acquiring resistance to antibiotics. [ 98–100 ] These mechanisms include: a) active efflux of antibiotics from the bacteria through overexpression of efflux pumps, b) acquisition of alternative metabolic pathways to those inhibited by the drug, c) decreased permeability of the bacterial cell wall which restricts antimicrobial access to target sites, d) degradation of the antibiotic, e) enzymatic modification of the antibiotic, f) modification of antibiotic targets, g) overproduction of the target enzyme, and h) transfer of antimicrobial resistance genes via quorum sensing within members of a biofilm consortium.…”

The First Stages of Chemical and Electrochemical Aniline Oxidation—Spectroscopic Comparative Study

“…Polyaniline (PANI) is one of the most studied conducting polymers. It has a wide range of applications, including wastewater processing [1,2], catalysis [2], sensing [3][4][5][6], biomedical [5,7,8], optical [9] and electrochemical [9][10][11][12][13] applications. Many of these areas require PANI in the form of a thin film.…”

Self‐healing Polyol/Borax Hydrogels: Fabrications, Properties and Applications

“…In nanocomposite hydrogels, the polar nanofillers (such as nano-cellulose and SiO 2 nanoparticles) act as secondary crosslinking agents and can interact strongly with hydrogel matrix to give mechanical strength to the hydrogel. [93][94][95] Other types of nanoparticles which can be used to create various properties in hydrogels include electroconductive agents (electroconductive polymers, carbon nanotubes (CNT) and graphene), [96][97][98] antibacterial nanofillers (such as nanoparticles of Ag, ZnO, and Cu), [99] and quantum dots. [100] Moreover, addition of other ingredients to the boraxbased nanocomposite hydrogels have been evaluated for the fabrication of hybrid materials.…”