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Structure-Property Relationships in Polymer Networks and Related Materials for Dental and Medical Application

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A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2023) | Viewed by 7948

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Izabela Barszczewska-Rybarek

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Guest Editor

Department of Physical Chemistry and Technology of Polymers, Silesian University of Technology, Strzody 9, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
Interests: polymers; polymeric materials; polymer properties; polymer characterization; structure–property relationships; dimethacrylate monomer synthesis; dental materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Materials based on polymer networks have a superior status in dentistry and orthopedy. In dentistry, they mainly include dimethacrylate-based restorative composite materials. In orthopedy, crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate)s and poly(dimethacrylate)s are used in bone cements.

Dentistry and orthopedy are interested in the highest possible quality of materials offered, which must meet a number of physicochemical, mechanical and biological requirements throughout the service life.

As the chemical structure of monomers and the molecular structure of the resulting polymer networks determine the physicochemical, mechanical and biological properties of the material, comprehensive studies are essential for explaining and understanding these properties and their interrelations. The knowledge gained allows for the improvement of material performance, as well as the identification and prediction of the causes of material failure during use. This coincides with a continuous development of material engineering towards multidisciplinary approaches and advanced testing methods.

This Special Issue aims to highlight research within the structure–property relationships in polymer networks and related materials with commercial and potential applicability in dentistry and medicine. Studies on the newly designed systems, as well as chemically or physically modified well-known systems, are welcome. Model studies providing deeper investigations on structure–property relationships of well-known systems are also in demand.

Prof. Dr. Izabela Barszczewska-Rybarek
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

dental materials
bone cements
composites
dimethacrylates
crosslinked poly(methyl methacrylate)
polymer networks and crosslinked polymers
structure–property relationships
structural properties
morphology
mechanical properties
glass temperature
water sorption and solubility
polymerization shrinkage
biological properties

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 4114 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cytotoxicity and Microbiological Properties of Copolymers Comprising Quaternary Ammonium Urethane-Dimethacrylates with Bisphenol A Glycerolate Dimethacrylate and Triethylene Glycol Dimethacrylate

by Marta W. Chrószcz-Porębska, Izabela M. Barszczewska-Rybarek, Alicja Kazek-Kęsik and Izabella Ślęzak-Prochazka

Materials 2023, 16(10), 3855; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103855 - 20 May 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1235

Abstract

Using dental composite restorative materials with a copolymeric matrix chemically modified towards bioactive properties can help fight secondary caries. In this study, copolymers of 40 wt.% bisphenol A glycerolate dimethacrylate, 40 wt.% quaternary ammonium urethane-dimethacrylates (QAUDMA-m, where m represents 8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 carbon atoms in the N-alkyl substituent), and 20 wt.% triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (BG:QAm:TEGs) were tested for (i) cytotoxicity on the L929 mouse fibroblast cell line; (ii) fungal adhesion, fungal growth inhibition zone, and fungicidal activity against C. albicans; and (iii) bactericidal activity against S. aureus and E. coli. BG:QAm:TEGs had no cytotoxic effects on L929 mouse fibroblasts because the reduction of cell viability was less than 30% compared to the control. BG:QAm:TEGs also showed antifungal activity. The number of fungal colonies on their surfaces depended on the water contact angle (WCA). The higher the WCA, the greater the scale of fungal adhesion. The fungal growth inhibition zone depended on the concentration of QA groups (x_QA). The lower the x_QA, the lower the inhibition zone. In addition, 25 mg/mL BG:QAm:TEGs suspensions in culture media showed fungicidal and bactericidal effects. In conclusion, BG:QAm:TEGs can be recognized as antimicrobial biomaterials with negligible biological patient risk. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure-Property Relationships in Polymer Networks and Related Materials for Dental and Medical Application)

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18 pages, 4798 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Biomechanical Evaluation of Patient-Specific Polymethylmethacrylate Cranial Implants for Virtual Surgical Planning: An In-Vitro Study

by Bilal Msallem, Michaela Maintz, Florian S. Halbeisen, Simon Meyer, Guido R. Sigron, Neha Sharma, Shuaishuai Cao and Florian M. Thieringer

Materials 2022, 15(5), 1970; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15051970 - 07 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3306

Abstract

Cranioplasty with freehand-molded polymethylmethacrylate implants is based on decades of experience and is still frequently used in clinical practice. However, data confirming the fracture toughness and standard biomechanical tests are rare. This study aimed to determine the amount of force that could be applied to virtually planned, template-molded, patient-specific implants (n = 10) with an implant thickness of 3 mm, used in the treatment of a temporoparietal skull defect (91.87 cm²), until the implant cracks and finally breaks. Furthermore, the influence of the weight and porosity of the implant on its force resistance was investigated. The primary outcome showed that a high force was required to break the implant (mean and standard deviation 1484.6 ± 167.7 N), and this was very strongly correlated with implant weight (Pearson’s correlation coefficient 0.97; p < 0.001). Secondary outcomes were force application at the implant’s first, second, and third crack. Only a moderate correlation could be found between fracture force and the volume of porosities (Pearson’s correlation coefficient 0.59; p = 0.073). The present study demonstrates that an implant thickness of 3 mm for a temporoparietal skull defect can withstand sufficient force to protect the brain. Greater implant weight and, thus, higher material content increases thickness, resulting in more resistance. Porosities that occur during the described workflow do not seem to reduce resistance. Therefore, precise knowledge of the fracture force of polymethylmethacrylate cranial implants provides insight into brain injury prevention and serves as a reference for the virtual design process. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure-Property Relationships in Polymer Networks and Related Materials for Dental and Medical Application)

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20 pages, 8312 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Physicochemical and Mechanical Properties of Bis-GMA/TEGDMA Dental Composite Resins Enriched with Quaternary Ammonium Polyethylenimine Nanoparticles

by Izabela M. Barszczewska-Rybarek, Marta W. Chrószcz and Grzegorz Chladek

Materials 2021, 14(8), 2037; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14082037 - 18 Apr 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2642

Abstract

Modification of dental monomer compositions with antimicrobial agents must not cause deterioration of the structure, physicochemical, or mechanical properties of the resulting polymers. In this study, 0.5, 1, and 2 wt.% quaternary ammonium polyethylenimine nanoparticles (QA-PEI-NPs) were obtained and admixed with a Bis-GMA/TEGDMA (60:40) composition. Formulations were then photocured and tested for their degree of conversion (DC), polymerization shrinkage (S), glass transition temperature (T_g), water sorption (WS), solubility (SL), water contact angle (WCA), flexural modulus (E), flexural strength (σ), hardness (HB), and impact resistance (a_n). We found that the DC, S, Tg, WS, E, and HB were not negatively affected by the addition of QA-PEI-NPs. Changes in these values rarely reached statistical significance. On the other hand, the SL increased upon increasing the QA-PEI-NPs concentration, whereas σ and a_n decreased. These results were usually statistically significant. The WCA values increased slightly, but they remained within the range corresponding to hydrophilic surfaces. To conclude, the addition of 1 wt.% QA-PEI-NPs is suitable for applications in dental materials, as it ensures sufficient physicochemical and mechanical properties. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Structure-Property Relationships in Polymer Networks and Related Materials for Dental and Medical Application)

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