Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dúbravská cesta 9, SK-845 36 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Centre of Excellence for Advanced Materials Application, Slovak Academy of Sciences, SK-845 11 Bratislava, Slovakia.
Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Aug 15;23(16):9166. doi: 10.3390/ijms23169166.
Polymer/layered silicate composites have gained huge attention in terms of research and industrial applications. Traditional nanocomposites contain particles regularly dispersed in a polymer matrix. In this work, a strategy for the formation of a composite thin film on the surface of a polycaprolactone (PCL) matrix was developed. In addition to the polymer, the composite layer was composed of the particles of saponite (Sap) modified with alkylammonium cations and functionalized with methylene blue. The connection between the phases of modified Sap and polymer was achieved by fusing the chains of molten polymer into the Sap film. The thickness of the film of several μm was confirmed using electron microscopy and X-ray tomography. Surfaces of precursors and composite materials were analyzed in terms of structure, composition, and surface properties. The penetration of polymer chains into the silicate, thus joining the phases, was confirmed by chemometric analysis of spectral data and changes in some properties upon PCL melting. Ultimately, this study was devoted to the spectral properties and photoactivity of methylene blue present in the ternary composite films. The results provide directions for future research aimed at the development of composite materials with photosensitizing, photodisinfection, and antimicrobial surfaces.
聚合物/层状硅酸盐复合材料在研究和工业应用方面受到了广泛关注。传统的纳米复合材料包含规则分散在聚合物基质中的颗粒。在这项工作中，开发了一种在聚己内酯（PCL）基质表面形成复合薄膜的策略。除了聚合物，复合层还由用烷基铵阳离子改性并用亚甲基蓝功能化的皂石（Sap）颗粒组成。通过将熔融聚合物的链融合到 Sap 薄膜中，实现了改性 Sap 和聚合物相之间的连接。使用电子显微镜和 X 射线断层扫描确认了几 μm 厚的薄膜。根据结构、组成和表面性能分析了前体和复合材料的表面。通过对光谱数据的化学计量分析以及 PCL 熔融时某些性质的变化，证实了聚合物链穿透到硅酸盐中，从而将相连接。最终，这项研究致力于三元复合薄膜中存在的亚甲基蓝的光谱性质和光活性。研究结果为旨在开发具有光敏化、光消毒和抗菌表面的复合材料的未来研究提供了方向。
