Hybrid Microgels with Antibacterial Properties

In the present work, we have used aqueous microgels as containers for the deposition of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). It has been shown that AgNPs can be effectively incorporated in the microgel interior during the in situ reduction of silver ions. Obtained hybrid microgels with variable AgNPs loading (from 1 to 12 wt.‐%) have been used as antibacterial agents for two bacteria types. The experimental results indicate that porous microgel structure allows the release of the silver ions from the AgNPs surface into an aqueous phase. This ensures effective reduction in the number of bacterial colonies in test plates and complete bacteria killing. The antibacterial efficiency of the microgel particles increases with AgNPs loading.

     

取代苄基吡啶类季铵盐的制备及其杀菌活性

采用吡啶或2-氨基吡啶与取代苄基衍生物反应获得3种苄基吡啶类季铵盐．即：溴化苄基吡啶盐（[Bz—Py]Br）,溴化苄基-2-氨基吡啶盐（[Bz-2-NH2Py]Br）和溴化对硝基苄基吡啶盐（[NO2Bzpy]Br]）．通过元素分析,红外光谱和电子喷雾质谱等手段进行了组成分析和结构表征,并以绿脓杆菌和金葡萄球菌为致病菌体测定了3种盐的杀菌活性．实验结果表明,所制备的3种吡啶类季铵盐具有良好的杀菌性能．     

Dielectric Properties of Polymer Composites Filled with Different Metals

Electrically conductive composite systems based on polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) filled with metal powders of Al and Cu have been studied. The composite preparation conditions allow the formation of a random distribution of metallic particles in the polymer matrix. Dependence of the dielectric and conductivity properties of the PVC and PMMA/fillers was studied over a broad range of frequency and volume fraction of metal fillers. The experimental results could be explained by means of the conductivity of fillers and the interface polarization between polymers and fillers. Percolation was also seen in this study when the volume fraction of conducting fillers was close to critical value, in which the composites undergo an insulator‐conductor transition. The relation among the dielectric property and the fillers with different conductivity was proposed.     

Non‐Woven Fibrous Materials with Antibacterial Properties Prepared by Tailored Attachment of Quaternized Chitosan to Electrospun Mats from Maleic Anhydride Copolymer

In order to impart antibacterial properties to microfibrous electrospun materials from styrene/maleic anhydride copolymers, quaternized chitosan derivatives (QCh) containing alkyl substituents of different chain lengths are covalently attached to the mats. A complete inhibition of the growth of bacteria, S. aureus (Gram‐positive) and E. coli (Gram‐negative), for a contact time of 30–120 min or a decrease of the bacterial titer by 2–3 log units is observed depending on the quaternization degree, the chain length of the alkyl substituent, and the molar mass of QCh. The modified mats are also effective in suppressing the adhesion of pathogenic S. aureus bacteria.

     

Modified Nanofibrous Filters with Durable Antibacterial Properties

The main aims of the research were to produce efficient nanofibrous filters with long-term antibacterial properties and to confirm the functionality of samples under real filtration conditions. A polyurethane solution was modified by micro- or nanoparticles of copper oxide in order to juxtapose the aggregation tendency of particles depending on their size. Modified solutions were electrospun by the Nanospider technique. The roller spinning electrode with a needle surface and static wire electrode were used for the production of functionalized nanofibers. The antibacterial properties of the modified nanofibrous layers were studied under simulated conditions of water and air filtration. Particular attention was paid to the fixation mechanism of modifiers in the structure of filters. It was determined that the rotating electrode with the needle surface is more efficient for the spinning of composite solutions due to the continuous mixing and the avoidance of particle precipitation at the bottom of the bath with modified polyurethane. Moreover, it was possible to state that microparticles of copper oxide are more appropriate antimicrobial additives due to their weaker aggregation tendency but stronger fixation in the fibrous structure than nanoparticles. From the results, it is possible to conclude that nanofibers with well-studied durable antibacterial properties may be recommended as excellent materials for water and air filtration applications.     

New Method to Calculate Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of a Multi-Temperature Plasma: Application to N2 Plasma

Multi-temperature thermal plasmas have often to be considered to account for the nonequilibrium effects. Recently André et al. have developed the calculation of concentrations in a multi-temperature plasma by artificially separating the partition functions into a product by assuming that the excitation energies are those of the lower levels (electronic, vibration, and rotation). However, at equilibrium, differences, increasing with temperature, can be observed between partition functions calculated rigorously and with their method. This paper presents a modified method where it has been assumed that the preponderant rotational energy is that of the vibrational level v=0 of the ground electronic state and the preponderant vibrational energy is that of the ground electronic state. The internal partition function can then be expressed as a product of series expressions. At equilibrium for N ₂ and N ₂ ⁺ partition functions the values calculated with our method differ by less than 0.1% from those calculated rigorously. The calculation has been limited to three temperatures: heavy species T_h , electrons T_e , and vibrational T _v temperatures. The plasma composition has been calculated by minimizing the Gibbs free enthalpy with the steepest descent numerical technique. The nonequilibrium properties have been calculated using the method of Devoto, modified by Bonnefoi and Aubreton. The ratio =T_e/T_h was varied between 1 and 2 as well as the ratio _v =T _v /T _h for a nitrogen plasma. At equilibrium the corresponding equilibrium transport properties of Ar and N ₂ are in good agreement with those of Devoto and Murphy except for T>10,000 K where we used a different interaction potential for N–N ⁺ . The effects of _v and _e on thermodynamic and transport properties of N ₂ are then discussed.     

Impact of Electrospinning Parameters and Post-Treatment Method on Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Activity of Chitosan Nanofibers

Chitosan, a natural biopolymer, is an ideal candidate to prepare biomaterials capable of preventing microbial infections due to its antibacterial properties. Electrospinning is a versatile method ideally suited to process biopolymers with minimal impact on their physicochemical properties. However, fabrication parameters and post-processing routine can affect biological activity and, therefore, must be well adjusted. In this study, nanofibrous membranes were prepared using trifluoroacetic acid and dichloromethane and evaluated for physiochemical and antimicrobial properties. The use of such biomaterials as potential antibacterial agents was extensively studied in vitro using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli as test organisms. The antibacterial assay showed inhibition of bacterial growth and eradication of the planktonic cells of both E. coli and S. aureus in the liquid medium for up to 6 hrs. The quantitative assay showed a significant reduction in bacteria cell viability by nanofibers depending on the method of fabrication. The antibacterial properties of these biomaterials can be attributed to the structural modifications provided by co-solvent formulation and application of post-treatment procedure. Consequently, the proposed antimicrobial surface modification method is a promising technique to prepare biomaterials designed to induce antimicrobial resistance via antiadhesive capability and the biocide-releasing mechanism.     

咪唑取代的双羟基季铵盐的合成及抗菌性质研究

将咪唑基团与N-甲基二乙醇胺进行季铵化反应,经过重结晶纯化得到2-(2-羟乙基)-甲基-(1-甲基-1H-咪唑-2-亚甲基)氯化铵(QAS-1),以傅立叶变换红外光谱(FT-IR)、核磁共振(NMR)和飞行时间质谱(TOF-MS)等进行结构表征。并采用纸片法和振荡培养法初步研究了QAS-1对金黄色葡萄球菌(S.aureus)、甲型链球菌(α-H-tococcus)、大肠杆菌(E.coli)、绿脓杆菌(P.aeruginosa)等菌种的抗菌性能。结果显示,季铵盐QAS-1对这4种菌均显示较好的抗菌活性,特别是对革兰氏阴性菌(E.coli,P.aeruginosa)的杀菌效果更加显著,且优于阳性药(葡萄糖酸氯己定)。     

Efficient and Accurate Methods for the Computation of Thermodynamic and Transport Properties of Multitemperature Thermal Plasma. Part I: Thermodynamic and Heavy Particle Transport Properties

In this paper we present numerical efficient methods for the computation ofthermodynamic and transport properties of nonequilibrium thermalplasmas. Thermodynamic properties of mono- and diatomic speciesare calculated directly from partition functions. The evaluation oftransport properties is based on the kinetic theory using the classicalChapman–Enskog approach to solve the heavy particle Boltzmannequation. A multitemperature model is used to consider thermalnonequilibrium.     

茶皂素―金属复合抗菌剂的制备及抗菌性能研究

通过抑菌环法探讨了茶皂素、金属离子、茶皂素―金属复合抗菌剂对大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌的抗菌活性,考察了茶皂素纯度、浓度、金属离子种类等因素对抗菌剂抗菌活性的影响。结果表明,茶皂素的抗菌活性与单一的金属离子的抗菌活性相当,茶皂素对大肠杆菌的最低抑制浓度为5 mg/mL,对金黄色葡萄球菌的最低抑制浓度是10 mg/mL;茶皂素与金属离子复配抗菌活性具有协同效应,尤其茶皂素―锌复合抗菌剂对大肠杆菌的抑制效果大大加强。     

乙烯等离子体处理的云母表面结构及表面性质

用元素分析、色-质谱、裂解气相色谱和顺磁共振等方法研究了经乙烯等离子体处理的云母表面化学结构及处理过程。结果表明,云母颗粒表面形成了厚数十埃的等离子体聚乙烯膜,其化学结构与反应体系中无云母时得到的等离子体聚乙烯膜相同。通过扫描电镜观察到云母片表面的聚合膜具有规则的海星状花样,随处理时间的延长花样按比例长大。水与云母表面的接触角数据说明,乙烯等离子体处理使云母表面的疏水性提高到聚乙烯的水平,比氩气等离子体、硅烷偶联剂及钛酸酯偶联剂处理的效果均更为显著。     

聚丙烯微孔膜表面的空气等离子体处理

采用空气等离子体对聚丙烯微孔膜进行了处理，膜表面带有了氧元素，表面亲水性增强。微孔膜外表面改性程度较高，而孔内愈往深处改性程度愈弱。空气等离子体处理过的微孔膜力学性能下降。     

Influence of O2 Plasma on Surface Properties of PC-TiO2 Nanocomposite Film

In this work, polycarbonate-TiO₂ nanocomposite films were prepared with different percentages. The aim was to consider the effect of O₂ LF plasma (50 Hz) on the hydrophilicity, surface energy, and surface morphology of polycarbonate and polycarbonate-TiO₂ nanocomposite. Structure of samples was determined by using X-ray diffraction analysis. In comparison with the reference sample, the samples’ structure did not change after plasma treatment. Surface properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate-TiO₂ nanocomposite films were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurement, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Vickers microhardness tester. XPS analysis showed that the surface of samples became more oxidized due to plasma treatment. The water contact angle significantly decreased from 88° to 15° after plasma treatment. It was observed that the hardness of the nanocomposite films was not modified after plasma treatment.     

电感耦合等离子体质谱(ICP-MS)法测定谷类产品中8种重金属元素

为建立大批量谷类产品中重金属元素的快速检测方法,采用快速消解法,样品于聚丙烯刻度离心管中经硝酸消解,用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪同时检测Pb、Cd、Cr、Cu、Zn、Ni、As、Hg等8种重金属元素含量。研究了消解酸用量及消解时间对结果的影响,并优化了仪器工作参数。研究结果表明,样品在120℃消解1 h后直接定容测定,各元素在实验浓度范围内线性良好,相对标准偏差RSD值1.1%～7.2%,Pb、Cd、Cr、Cu、Zn、Ni、As、Hg各元素的方法检出限分别为0.02、0.000 3、0.03、0.02、0.08、0.01、0.002和0.000 4 mg/kg。试剂用量少、简便、快捷、准确性好,适用于电感耦合等离子体质谱法定量检测稻米、小麦、玉米等谷类产品中重金属元素的含量。     

Decontamination-Induced Modification of Bioactivity in Essential Oil-Based Plasma Polymer Coatings

Plasma polymer coatings fabricated from Melaleuca alternifolia essential oil and its derivatives have been previously shown to reduce the extent of microbial adhesion on titanium, polymers, and other implantable materials used in dentistry. Previous studies have shown these coatings to maintain their performance under standard operating conditions; however, when used in e.g., a dental implant, these coatings may inadvertently become subject to in situ cleaning treatments, such as those using an atmospheric pressure plasma jet, a promising tool for the effective in situ removal of biofilms from tissues and implant surfaces. Here, we investigated the effect of such an exposure on the antimicrobial performance of the Melaleuca alternifolia polymer coating. It was found that direct exposure of the polymer coating surface to the jet for periods less than 60 s was sufficient to induce changes in its surface chemistry and topography, affecting its ability to retard subsequent microbial attachment. The exact effect of the jet exposure depended on the chemistry of the polymer coating, the length of plasma treatment, cell type, and incubation conditions. The change in the antimicrobial activity for polymer coatings fabricated at powers of 20–30 W was not statistically significant due to their limited baseline bioactivity. Interestingly, the bioactivity of polymer coatings fabricated at 10 and 15 W against Staphylococcus aureus cells was temporarily improved after the treatment, which could be attributed to the generation of loosely attached bioactive fragments on the treated surface, resulting in an increase in the dose of the bioactive agents being eluted by the surface. Attachment and proliferation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa cells and mixed cultures were less affected by changes in the bioactivity profile of the surface. The sensitivity of the cells to the change imparted by the jet treatment was also found to be dependent on their origin culture, with mature biofilm-derived P. aeruginosa bacterial cells showing a greater ability to colonize the surface when compared to its planktonic broth-grown counterpart. The presence of plasma-generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen species in the culture media was also found to enhance the bioactivity of polymer coatings fabricated at power levels of 10 and 15 W, due to a synergistic effect arising from simultaneous exposure of cells to reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) and eluted bioactive fragments. These results suggest that it is important to consider the possible implications of inadvertent changes in the properties and performance of plasma polymer coatings as a result of exposure to in situ decontamination, to both prevent suboptimal performance and to exploit possible synergies that may arise for some polymer coating-surface treatment combinations.     

PMMA-b-QPDMAEMA的合成及其抗菌活性

以α-溴代丙酸乙酯为引发剂,CuCl/二乙烯三胺为催化剂,采用ATRP法制得5个不同分子量的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯-聚甲基丙烯酸二甲氨乙酯嵌段共聚物(PMMA-b-PDMAEMA, P¹~P⁵); P¹~P⁵经溴代辛烷季铵化合成了5个聚季铵盐(Q¹~Q⁵),其结构和性能经¹H NMR, FT-IR, GPC和DSC表征。结果表明：P⁴和Q⁴的玻璃化转变温度分别为109.67 ℃和117.95 ℃。采用平板活菌计数法研究了Q¹~Q⁵对金黄色葡萄球菌(S. aureus)和大肠杆菌(E. coli)的抗菌活性。结果表明：Q¹~Q⁵对S. aureus的抗菌活性优于E. coli,其MIC值分别为300 mg·L^-1, 250 mg·L^-1, 275 mg·L^-1, 225 mg·L^-1和150 mg·L^-1。     

等离子体改性聚丙烯纤维表面的XPS研究

用等离子体技术处理了聚丙烯纤维表面．用Ｘ－射线光电子能谱（ＸＰＳ）研究了聚合物表面的元素组成、相对含量的变化、表面官能团的类型．采用曲线拟合分峰技术对谱图进行数学处理，结果表明：尽管处理气氛不同，聚丙烯纤维表面除含有Ｃ—Ｈ和Ｃ＝Ｃ键外，还引入了Ｏ、Ｎ元素．形成活性基团：－ＯＨ、＞Ｃ＝Ｏ、－ＣＯＯＨ、－ＮＨ２和－ＣＯＮＨ２等，提高了聚合物表面活性。     

掺杂Ag纳米BaTiO3抑菌剂的制备及其性能

掺杂Ag纳米BaTiO3抑菌剂的制备及其性能;溶胶-凝胶;掺杂Ａｇ;ＢａＴｉＯ３;抑菌性能     

Bioactivity Performance of Pure Mg after Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation in Silicate-Based Solutions

The biodegradable metals, including magnesium (Mg), are a convenient alternative to permanent metals but fast uncontrolled corrosion limited wide clinical application. Formation of a barrier coating on Mg alloys could be a successful strategy for the production of a stable external layer that prevents fast corrosion. Our research was aimed to develop an Mg stable oxide coating using plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) in silicate-based solutions. 99.9% pure Mg alloy was anodized in electrolytes contained mixtures of sodium silicate and sodium fluoride, calcium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), contact angle (CA), Photoluminescence analysis and immersion tests were performed to assess structural and long-term corrosion properties of the new coating. Biocompatibility and antibacterial potential of the new coating were evaluated using U2OS cell culture and the gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus, strain B 918). PEO provided the formation of a porous oxide layer with relatively high roughness. It was shown that Ca(OH)₂ was a crucial compound for oxidation and surface modification of Mg implants, treated with the PEO method. The addition of Ca²⁺ ions resulted in more intense oxidation of the Mg surface and growth of the oxide layer with a higher active surface area. Cell culture experiments demonstrated appropriate cell adhesion to all investigated coatings with a significantly better proliferation rate for the samples treated in Ca(OH)₂-containing electrolyte. In contrast, NaOH-based electrolyte provided more relevant antibacterial effects but did not support cell proliferation. In conclusion, it should be noted that PEO of Mg alloy in silicate baths containing Ca(OH)₂ provided the formation of stable biocompatible oxide coatings that could be used in the development of commercial degradable implants.