Terminal sterilization of BisGMA-TEGDMA thermoset materials and their bioactive surfaces by supercritical CO2.

Autor: Donati I; Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. idonati@units.it, Benincasa M, Foulc MP, Turco G, Toppazzini M, Solinas D, Spilimbergo S, Kikic I, Paoletti S
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Biomacromolecules [Biomacromolecules] 2012 Apr 09; Vol. 13 (4), pp. 1152-60. Date of Electronic Publication: 2012 Mar 27.
DOI: 10.1021/bm300053d
Abstrakt: The development of biomaterials endowed with bioactive features relies on a simultaneous insight into a proper terminal sterilization process. FDA recommendations on sterility of biomaterials are very strict: a sterility assurance level (SAL) of 10(-6) must be guaranteed for biomaterials to be used in human implants. In the present work, we have explored the potential of supercritical CO(2) (scCO(2)) in the presence of H(2)O(2) as a low-temperature sterilization process for thermoset materials and their bioactive surfaces. Different conditions allowing for terminal sterilization have been screened and a treatment time-amount of H(2)O(2) relationship proposed. The selected terminal sterilization conditions did not notably modify the mechanical properties of the thermoset nor of their fiber-reinforced composites. This was confirmed by μCT analyses performed prior to and after the treatment. On the contrary, terminal sterilization in the presence of H(2)O(2) induced a slight decrease in the surface hardness. The treatment of the thermoset material with scCO(2) led to a reduction in the residual unreacted monomers content, as determined by means of high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses. Finally, it was found that a thermoset coated with a polysaccharide layer containing silver nanoparticles maintained a very high antimicrobial efficacy even after the scCO(2)-based terminal sterilization.
Databáze: MEDLINE