• Abstract
• Full-Text PDF [1323 KB]

• Article Statistics
• PubMed/Medline
• Google Scholar
• Order Reprints

• Cite this article
• Export to BibTeX
• Export to EndNote

• [+] on DOAJ
• Popelka, A
• Novák, I
• Lehocký, M
• Chodák, I
• Sedliačik, J
• Gajtanska, M
• Sedliačiková, M
• Vesel, A
• Junkar, I
• Kleinová, A
• Špírková, M
• Bílek, F
• [+] on Google Scholar
• Popelka, A
• Novák, I
• Lehocký, M
• Chodák, I
• Sedliačik, J
• Gajtanska, M
• Sedliačiková, M
• Vesel, A
• Junkar, I
• Kleinová, A
• Špírková, M
• Bílek, F
• [+] on PubMed
• Popelka, A
• Novák, I
• Lehocký, M
• Chodák, I
• Sedliačik, J
• Gajtanska, M
• Sedliačiková, M
• Vesel, A
• Junkar, I
• Kleinová, A
• Špírková, M
• Bílek, F

•  CiteULike
•  Facebook
•  Mendeley
•  Twitter

This article is

• freely available
• re-usable

Molecules 2012, 17(1), 762-785; doi:10.3390/molecules17010762

Article

Anti-bacterial Treatment of Polyethylene by Cold Plasma for Medical Purposes

Anton Popelka ¹ , Igor Novák ^1,* , Marián Lehocký ² , Ivan Chodák ¹ , Ján Sedliačik ³ , Milada Gajtanska ³ , Mariana Sedliačiková ³ , Alenka Vesel ⁴ , Ita Junkar ⁴ , Angela Kleinová ¹ , Milena Špírková ⁵  and František Bílek ⁶

¹ Polymer Institute, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, 845 41 Bratislava 45, Slovakia ² Centre of Polymer Systems, University Institute, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Nad Ovčírnou 3685, 760 01 Zlín, Czech Republic ³ Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology, Technical University in Zvolen, T.G. Masaryka 2117/24, 960 53 Zvolen, Slovakia ⁴ Plasma Laboratory, Department of Surface Engineering, Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova cesta 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia ⁵ Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry AS CR, v. v. i, Heyrovsky Sq. 2, 162 06 Prague 6, Czech Republic ⁶ Polymer Centre, Faculty of Technology, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, T.G.M Sq. 275, 762 72 Zlín, Czech Republic

* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 16 November 2011; in revised form: 9 January 2012 / Accepted: 10 January 2012 / Published: 13 January 2012

Download PDF Full-Text [1323 KB, uploaded 13 January 2012 10:52 CET]

Abstract: Polyethylene (PE) is one of the most widely used polymers in many industrial applications. Biomedical uses seem to be attractive, with increasing interest. However, PE it prone to infections and its additional surface treatment is indispensable. An increase in resistance to infections can be achieved by treating PE surfaces with substances containing antibacterial groups such as triclosan (5-Chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol) and chlorhexidine (1,1'-Hexamethylenebis[5-(4-chlorophenyl)biguanide]). This work has examined the impact of selected antibacterial substances immobilized on low-density polyethylene (LDPE) via polyacrylic acid (PAA) grafted on LDPE by low-temperature barrier discharge plasma. This LDPE surface treatment led to inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus adhesion; the first causes intestinal disease, peritonitis, mastitis, pneumonia, septicemia, the latter is the reason for wound and urinary tract infections.

Keywords: polyethylene; grafting; plasma treatment; immobilization; triclosan; chlorhexidine; acrylic acid

Article Statistics

Cite This Article