Polymer- Nanoparticles Composites for the Reduction of the Bacterial Adherence to Surfaces

Abstract

The medical device is one of the sources of nosocomial infections; the adherence of the bacteria on the surface of this device is the first step in the medical device related infection. In this study nanocomposite of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)/titanium oxide nanoparticles (1, 5, 10, 20, 30 wt %) and copolymer acrylonitrile  butadiene styrene (ABS)/titanium oxide nanoparticles (1, 5, 10, 20, 30 wt %) were used to investigate the ability of the nanocomposite for the reduction of the bacterial adherence to the surfaces. The microorganisms which is used in this study include (Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumonia). After an incubation of microorganisms with nanocomposites for 2 hours, it was found that the adhered bacterial cells were significantly reduced on all of the TiO₂-containing nanocomposites in the comparison with control polymer. The reduction is reached to 60.82% with10% TiO₂ in ABS for P.  aeruginosa. The results of the S. aureus adherence on nanocomposite are revealed a significant reduction in the number of adhered bacteria and reached to 73.71% with 20% TiO₂ in PMMA. The effect of TiO₂ nanoparticales on the K.  pneumonia adherence  appeared very clear and the reduction uis  reached to 90.04% with 10% TiO₂ in ABS.