Surface Engineering of AgNPs-Decorated Polyetheretherketone

Abstract

Metal nanostructure-treated polymers are widely recognized as the key material responsible for a specific antibacterial response in medical-based applications. However, the finding of an optimal bactericidal effect in combination with an acceptable level of cytotoxicity, which is typical for metal nanostructures, prevents their expansion from being more significant so far. This study explores the possibility of firmly anchoring silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) into polyetherether ketone (PEEK) with a tailored surface morphology that exhibits laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). We demonstrated that laser-induced forward transfer technology is a suitable tool, which, under specific conditions, enables uniform decoration of the PEEK surface with AgNPs, regardless of whether the surface is planar or LIPSS structured. The antibacterial test proved that AgNPs-decorated LIPSS represents a more effective bactericidal protection than their planar counterparts, even if they contain a lower concentration of immobilized particles. Nanostructured PEEK with embedded AgNPs may open up new possibilities in the production of templates for replication processes in the construction of functional bactericidal biopolymers or may be directly used in tissue engineering applications.

Methods to improve antibacterial properties of PEEK: A review

“…Moreover, the structure was decorated with Ag nanoparticles. The surface structured samples showed better antibacterial properties, although they had lower Ag concentration than the untreated samples [169].…”

Strategies to improve the performance of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as orthopedic implants: from surface modification to addition of bioactive materials

“…An inhibition zone of 22.5 mm and an antibacterial rate of 83.47% were found for the PEKK coated with 0.5% AgNPs compared to an untreated PEEK substrate. In addition to the conventional surface grafting by coating, Siegel et al 83 anchored AgNPs to the PEEK surface in a purely physical form by laser-induced forward transfer technique. During directed movement of AgNPs, which is caused by the forward scattering force arising from the isotropic scattering of incoming electromagnetic radiation on spherical particles with sufficiently small diameter, the light absorption occurs at wavelengths close to the resonant conditions of metallic particles, leading to their This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2024 simultaneous heating.…”

Antifouling nanoplatform for controlled attachment of E. coli

“…Laser ablation offers a chemical-free alternative, enabling sterile, contactless nanomaterial production fast and efficiently, and allows the creation of diverse surface structures [33,34]. Previous studies using laser ablation have mostly focused on bacterial adhesion on metallic [35][36][37] and polymeric [38][39][40] micro-and nanostructures and often still require subsequent chemical treatments that may introduce contaminants.…”