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Journal of Materials Science and Nanotechnology | Volume 2
October 29-30, 2018 | London, UK
Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology
International Conference on
Antimicrobial polymer nanocomposites for the health-care sector
Carlos A Ávila-Orta
Centro de Investigación en Química Aplicada (CIQA), México
Copper nanoparticles have been studied as antimicrobial
additives for polymers aiming to diminish hospital acquired
infections. Different technological challenges have been
tackled. On one hand, copper nanoparticles tend to oxidize
rendering copper oxide which is highly toxic. Therefore, they
usually are coated with amorphous carbon which hinders their
antimicrobial effect. On the other hand, copper nanoparticles
are not compatible with polymers due to their different
surface energy, thus forming agglomerates preventing the
dispersion of nanoparticles into the polymer matrices. To
solve both problems, their surface is usually modified to make
them more compatible with polymers, as well as the use
of ultrasound in solution mixtures. Our research group has
contributed to solve the above-mentioned challenges. On one
hand, thermal decomposition and chemical reduction have
been used to synthesize copper nanoparticles. In the case
of chemical reduction allyl-amines ligands have been used
resulting in copper nanoparticles coated with amine-based
polymers. In both cases, a high antimicrobial activity has been
obtained with low-toxicity and increases the compatibility
with polymers. Besides, plasma polymerization of different
gases on the surface of copper nanoparticles also increases
their compatibility with different polymers. Finally, the use of
ultrasound-assisted melt extrusion methods and ultrasound in
the gas-phase help to break down agglomerates improving the
dispersion. All the concepts have been used to produce textiles
to be used in hospital environment based on core-sheath
antimicrobial fibers against S. aureus, within a collaborative
frame between México and the UK under ACT in Project.
Speaker Biography
Carlos A Ávila-Orta has completed his PhD at the age of 31 years from Centro de
Investigación en Química Aplicada (CIQA), México. He had a postdoctoral position at
the State University of New York at Stony Brook, USA. He served as the chairman of
the Department for Advanced Materials at CIQA, México in the period of 2007-2014
and from 2017 up to date. He has over 80 publications that have been cited over 1800
times and his publication h-Index is 24. He has contributed to 4 book chapters in the
fields of X-ray scattering analysis and nanotechnology.
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