THE PLASMA POLYMERISATION PROCESS FOR THE DEPOSITION OF AMINO-CONTAINING FILM ON THE POLY(ETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE) DRESSING-LAYER FOR SAFE WOUND-HEALING

PLAZEMSKA DEPOZICIJA AMINO-FUNKCIONALIZIRANEGA FILMA NA POLIETILEN TEREFTALATNEM SLOJU OBLOGE ZA UČINKOVITO CELJENJE RAN

Zdenka Peršin1,2, Adolf Jesih2,3, Karin Stana-Kleinschek1,2

1University of Maribor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Laboratory for Characterisation and Processing of Polymers, Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
2Centre of Excellence for Polymer Materials and Technologies, Tehnološki park 24, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
3Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

zdenka.persin@uni-mb.si

Prejem rokopisa – received: 2010-09-28; sprejem za objavo – accepted for publication: 2010-10-10

This article presents a new approach for preparing antimicrobial layer as a part of multi-composite dressing for safe and efficient wound – healing within a moist environment. Plasma polymerisation using a mixture of argon, ammonia, and hexane gases was used for preparing a thin polymer film on the poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) surface. The plasma deposition efficiency, regarding the amount of nitrogen, was evaluated by the Kjeldahl method, whilst the absorption of C.I. Acid Orange 7 dye onto accessible amino groups was monitored within the UV/VIS spectral region. The quantitative amount of charged surface groups was determined by potencometric titration.
The results obtained using Kjeldahl method indicated the presence of a substantial amount of nitrogen within the deposited film. Furthermore, mono – azo acidic dye was absorbed onto the polymerised sample, pointing to the formation of an ionic bond between the sulphuric and amino groups. The plasma deposited PET samples resulted in inhibitions regarding all the pathogen microorganisms used, mostly those present in the infected wound.

Keywords: plasma polymerisation, argon, ammonia, hexane, poly(ethylene terephthalate), antimicrobial properties, wound dressing

Prispevek predstavlja nov pristop priprave protimikrobnega sloja, ki ga bo mogoče vključiti v obstoječe ali nove razvite obloge za učinkovito celjenje ran v vlažnem okolju. Postopek plazemske polimerizacije z uporabo mešanice plinov argona, amonijaka in heksana je bil uporabljen z namenom vpeljave funkcionalnih skupin na površino polietilen tereftalata (PET). Učinek nanosa oziroma vsebnost dušika se je ovrednotila s pomočjo konvencionalne Kjeldahl metode. Adsorpcija C.I. Acid Orange 7 barvila na dostopne aminske skupine funkcionaliziranega materiala se je spremljala s pomočjo UV/VIS spektroskopije. Kvantitativna količina funkcionalnih skupin z nabojem se je ovrednotila s potenciometrično titracijo.
Rezultati po Kjeldahl-u nakazujejo na prisotnost dušika v nastalem polimernem filmu na površini PET. Mono – azo barvilo se je uspešno adsorbiralo na površino polimeriziranega vzorca, kar nakazuje na nastanek ionske vezi med sulfonskimi in aminskimi skupinami. Plazemsko polimeriziran polietilen tereftalatni vzorec izkazuje učinkovito inhibicijo na vse testirane bakterijske kulture, ki so največkrat prisotne v okuženi rani.

Ključne besede: plazemska polimerizacija, argon, amonijak, heksan, polietilen tereftalat, protimikrobne lastnosti, obloga