Antibacterial composite based on nanostructured ZnO mesoscale particles and a poly(vinyl chloride) matrix

Abstract

The microwave-assisted solvothermal synthesis of inorganic ZnO nanoparticles is a facile method yielding a broad variety of active fillers with specific properties. The synthesis of hierarchical nanostructured zinc oxide mesoscale particles was carried out under continuous microwave irradiation from soluble zinc acetate as the precursor in a diethylene glycol solvent. The prepared ZnO particles were characterized with X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and UV-VIS spectrometry. A composite was obtained by mixing these particles with the softened medical-grade poly(vinyl chloride) as a model polymer matrix to develop an antibacterial polymer system with a possible application for plastic medical devices. The testing of the antibacterial activity of the composite confirmed an excellent performance against Escherichia coli (gram-negative) and sufficient activity against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) bacteria according to ISO 22196: 2007. In addition, no adverse effects of the filler on the mechanical properties of the composite were observed in comparison with the neat PVC resin. Therefore, the prepared composites can be considered as suitable candidates for application in plastic medical devices and other industries.