Antimicrobial Functionalization of Silicone-graft-poly(-vinylimidazole) Catheters.

In this work, we present the modification of a medical-grade silicone catheter with the -vinylimidazole monomer using the grafting-from method at room temperature and induced by gamma rays. The catheters were modified by varying the monomer concentration (20-100 vol%) and the irradiation dose (20-100 kGy). Unlike the pristine material, the grafted poly(-vinylimidazole) chains provided the catheter with hydrophilicity and pH response.

Lignocellulosic Membranes Grafted with -Vinylcaprolactam Using Radiation Chemistry: Load and Release Capacity of Vancomycin.

Radiation chemistry presents a unique avenue for developing innovative polymeric materials with desirable properties, eliminating the need for chemical initiators, which can be potentially detrimental, especially in sensitive sectors like medicine. In this investigation, we employed a radiation-induced graft polymerization process with N-vinylcaprolactam (NVCL) to modify lignocellulosic membranes derived from , commonly known as maguey. The membranes underwent thorough characterization employing diverse techniques, including contact angle measurement, degree of swelling, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance spectroscopy (FTIR-ATR), nuclear magnetic resonance (CP-MAS C-NMR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and uniaxial tensile mechanical tests.