Biofilms causing biomaterial-associated infection resist antibiotic treatment and usually necessitate the replacement of infected implants. Here we relate bacterial adhesion forces and the antibiotic susceptibility of biofilms on uncoated and polymer brush-coated silicone rubber. Nine strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa adhered more weakly to brush-coated silicone rubber (-0.05 ± 0.03 to -0.51 ± 0.62 nN) than to uncoated silicone rubber (-1.05 ± 0.46 to -5.1 ± 1.3 nN). Biofilms of weakly adhering organisms on polymer brush coatings remained in a planktonic state, susceptible to gentamicin, unlike biofilms formed on uncoated silicone rubber.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/AAC.00431-12 | DOI Listing |
Acta Bioeng Biomech
June 2024
2AGH University of Krakow, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, Kraków, Poland.
Bacterial infections pose a serious threat to human health. For many years, there has been a search for materials that would inhibit their development. It was decided to take a closer look at various elastomeric materials with the addition of chitosan.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdv Mater
January 2025
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, 3231 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
Cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs) hold great promise for mechanochromic applications in anti-counterfeiting, smart textiles, and soft robotics, thanks to the structural color and elasticity. While CLCEs are printed via direct ink writing (DIW) to fabricate free-standing films, complex 3D structures are not fabricated due to the opposing rheological properties necessary for cholesteric alignment and multilayer stacking. Here, 3D CLCE structures are realized by utilizing coaxial DIW to print a CLC ink within a silicone ink.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFACS Appl Mater Interfaces
January 2025
State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610065, P.R. China.
Silicone rubber (SR) holds significant potential for everyday wearable devices due to its inherent sweat resistance and flexibility. However, its broader applicability is constrained by poor oil resistance and a suboptimal slip performance. In this study, we developed an SR with durable oil resistance and enhanced slip properties by forming a covalently bonded barrier layer on its surface through a one-step in situ fluorination reaction using F/N.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMaterials (Basel)
January 2025
Mechanical Engineering Department, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, 28911 Leganés, Spain.
The degradation of rubber materials under environmental and mechanical stress presents a significant challenge, particularly due to UV (ultraviolet light) exposure, which severely impacts the material's physical properties. This study aims to enhance the UV stability and longevity of rubber by evaluating the performance of modified polyurethane and silicone coatings as protective stabilizers. Natural rubber-styrene-butadiene rubber (NR-SBR), known for its exceptional mechanical properties, was selected as the base material.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMicromachines (Basel)
December 2024
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea.
The application of smart materials in robots has attracted considerable research attention. This study developed an inchworm robot that integrates smart materials and a bionic design, using the unique properties of magnetorheological elastomers (MREs) to improve the performance of robots in complex environments, as well as their adaptability and movement efficiency. This research stems from solving the problem of the insufficient adaptability of traditional bionic robots on different surfaces.
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