EFFECT OF CHITOSAN AND LIPID LAYERS DEPOSITED ONTO POLYETHYLENE TEREPHTHALATE (PET) ON ITS WETTING PROPERTIES

The wetting properties of chitosan (Ch) and single 1,2-dipalmitoylsn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC), cholesterol (Chol) and binary DPPC-Chol layers deposited onto polyethylene terephthalate activated by low-temperature air plasma (PETair) were examined. PET is widely used in tissue engineering, but its low hydrophilicity limits its integration with the surrounding tissues. Ch is a biocompatible polysaccharide, distinguished by its antimicrobial properties, widely distributed in medicine. DPPC and Chol are the major building components of cell membrane, so they can perfectly mimic membrane behaviour during contact with the Ch layer. Monolayers of lipids were deposited onto PETair with or without the Ch layer using the Langmuir-Blodgett technique. The total surface free energy (SFE)and its components changes were calculated from theoretical approaches. Wettability strongly depended on the monolayer composition as well as the Ch layer. The Ch film decreased the contact angle and increased SFE of the PET surface with the lipid monolayers due to specific organisation of molecules within the chitosan scaffold. The most promising combination of surface modification for tissue engineering applications seems to be the PETair/Ch/DPPC-Chol system.

Biofilm-Forming Ability of Microbacterium lacticum and Staphylococcus capitis Considering Physicochemical and Topographical Surface Properties

Biofilm characteristics of Microbacterium lacticum D84 (M. lacticum) and Staphylococcus capitis subsp. capitis (S. capitis) on polytetrafluoroethylene and AISI-304 stainless steel at early- (24, 48 h) and late-stage (144, 192 h) biofilm formation were investigated. M. lacticum biofilm structure was more developed compared to S. capitis, representing vastly mature biofilms with a strongly developed amorphous matrix, possibly extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), at late-stage biofilm formation. S. capitis showed faster growth behavior but still resulted in a relatively flat biofilm structure. Strong correlations were found between several roughness parameters and S. capitis surface coverage (r ≥ 0.98), and between total surface free energy (γs) and S. capitis surface coverage (r = 0.89), while M. lacticum remained mostly unaffected. The pronounced ubiquitous biofilm characteristics make M. lacticum D84 a suitable model for biofilm research. Studying biofilm formation of these bacteria may help one understand bacterial adhesion on interfaces and hence reduce biofilm formation in the food industry.

WETTING PROPERTIES OF CHITOSAN-MODIFIED AND PLASMA-TREATED PEEK SURFACES

In this paper, the wettability of chitosan/phospholipid (1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine – DPPC), chitosan/lipid (cholesterol – Chol) and chitosan/protein (cyclosporine A – CsA) films on air plasma activated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) plates was studied. The layers were prepared using the solution spreading technique and their surface wetting properties were determined based on the measurements of the advancing and receding contact angles of water, formamide and diiodomethane. Moreover, based on the contact angle hysteresis model of Chibowski, values of total surface free energy were estimated. Significant changes in PEEK polarity were observed after plasma activation and modifications with Ch/DPPC, Ch/Chol and Ch/CsA layers. These molecules modulate the chitosan film surface by changing the type and magnitude of interactions, which is revealed in the values of surface free energy. These results may be important for the development and implementation of highly biocompatible bone substitution polymers coated with chitosan film with anti-fungal and anti-bactericidal properties. Those systems based on chitosan may also carry and release biologically active substances which could be relevant in the new generation of drug delivery systems.

Polymers containing phtalimidoalkyl groups in the side chains. effect of the alkyl groups in monolayers at the airwater interface

Surface activity of poly(methacrylate)s containing phthalimidoalkyl groups was studied. Surface pressure-area isotherms ( -A) at the air-water interface were determined. These polymers form stable and condensed monolayers. The monolayers are more condensed and the limiting surface area A0 values decrease when the number of the methylene groups in the lateral chains increases. Surface pressure variation at the semidilute region of the monolayers was expressed in terms of the scaling laws as power function of the surface concentration. The static elasticity εo and the exponent of the excluded volume υ were determined. The hydrophobicity degree of polymers was estimated from the determination of the total surface free energy values by wettability measurements. Molecular dynamic simulation (MDS) was performed in order to explain the experimental behavior of polymers at the air-water interface.

Investigation of some phenomena occurring during continuous ink-jet printing of ceramics

A ceramic ink was prepared, characterised, and subjected to continuous ink-jet printing. The optimum modulation frequency for printing was estimated. The surface free energies of several substrates were determined and different patterns of the ink droplets were printed on these. Phenomena occurring during the process were investigated. The drop-by-drop resolution and ink spreading were found to be dependent on the dispersive/total surface free energy ratio of the substrates. Ink drying was accompanied by powder migration in the droplets deposited on substrates with a surface free energy lower than the surface tension of the ink. Printing of multiple layers was accompanied by the appearance of ridges, splattering, and non-vertical walls. The causes of these phenomena are discussed in this paper.

Experimental investigation of the Y2BaCuO5 surface free energy during peritectic solidification of YBCO

The characteristic inhomogeneous distribution of nonsuperconducting Y2BaCuO5 (211) inclusions in melt-processed YBa2Cu3O7−δ (123) grains has generally been attributed to 211 particle pushing by 123 growth fronts during peritectic solidification on the basis of reduced total surface free energy. Analysis of the morphology of the interfaces at the 211–211–123 and 211–211-liquid triple points in seeded melt-processed samples invalidates this assumption for the pure YBCO system and has implications of the mechanism of 211 particle segregation.

Interactions of components and elements of the surface free energy at interfaces

A new hypothesis is suggested for the evaluation of the components (γd and γab) and the elements (γa and γb) of the surface free energy. The respective equations are introduced for the interactions at interfaces between a non-polar acid and non-polar base, a polar phase and non-polar acid or base, and two polar phases. The dispersion component, γd, equals the total surface free energy of non-polar phases. However, they can interact at the interface as an acid or a base through their single permanent elements γa or γb, respectively. Otherwise, induced elements γia and γib can also be effective. The surface free energy of polar phases is additively composed of the dispersion, γd, and acid-base components, γab = 2(γaγb)1/2. The proposed equation are verified using the known values of the surface and interfacial free energies for the liquid-liquid systems and they are applied to the solid-liquid interfaces. The values of the elements are determined for water, γwa = 67.7 and γwb = 10.6 mJ/m2, and for other liquids, such as glycerol, formamide, mercury, benzene, diethyl ether and trichloromethane.