To be a radical or not to be one? The fate of the stable nitroxide radical TEMPO [(2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl] undergoing plasma polymerization into thin-film coatings.

The stable nitroxide radical TEMPO [(2,2,6,6-Tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl] has a multitude of applications in fields ranging from energy storage to biomedical applications and many more. However, to date, the processes of incorporating nitroxide radicals into thin-film coatings are laborious and not cost-effective, which hinders their wider use in many applications. In contrast, the authors have recently demonstrated the facile method of plasma polymerization of TEMPO into thin-film coatings that retain the stable nitroxide radicals.

It takes two for chronic wounds to heal: dispersing bacterial biofilm and modulating inflammation with dual action plasma coatings.

Chronic wounds are affecting increasingly larger portions of the general population and their treatment has essentially remained unchanged for the past century. This lack of progress is due to the complex problem that chronic wounds are simultaneously infected and inflamed. Both aspects need to be addressed together to achieve a better healing outcome.