Technological watch

A composite containing polyamino acid (PAA) and titanium dioxide/silver nanoparticles (TiO2/Ag NPs) was developed. The effect of TiO2/Ag NPs of PAA/TiO2/Ag composites on antibacterial properties for Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus was investigated. The results indicated that the composites showed obvious inhibitory effect on both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and this effect was increased as the TiO2/Ag NPs doping was increased.Bacterial infection caused by medical material is a common problem in the field of medicine. In this work, we aim to develop a novel antimicrobial bioplastic with potential medical value. A novel composite material composed of polyamino acid (PAA) and titanium dioxide/silver nanoparticles (TiO2/Ag NPs) was synthesized by in situ melting polycondensation with different TiO2/Ag loadings. The morphological, antibacterial, mechanical, thermal, and cytotoxicity properties of the PAA/TiO2/Ag composites were investigated. The results showed that uniform nanocomposites with amide bonds were synthesized, and the nanocomposites with 10% TiO2/Ag incorporation exhibited the best thermal and mechanical properties. Cytotoxicity assay showed that the composites significantly promoted the proliferation of MG?63 cells. The composites showed obvious inhibitory effect on both Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, and this effect was increased as the TiO2/Ag NPs doping was increased. These PAA/TiO2/Ag composites are suitable for antibacterial and high?performance biomaterials in the medical field.