Department of Science and Engineering of Oxide Materials and Nanomaterials, Politehnica University of Bucharest, 011061 Bucharest, Romania.
Lasers Department, National Institute for Lasers, Plasma and Radiation Physics, 409 Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jul 14;24(14):11466. doi: 10.3390/ijms241411466.
The recognized antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles is a well-studied property, especially when designing and developing biomaterials with medical applications. As biological activity is closely related to the physicochemical characteristics of a material, aspects such as particle morphology and dimension should be considered. Microfluidic systems in continuous flow represent a promising method to control the size, shape, and size distribution of synthesized nanoparticles. Moreover, using microfluidics widens the synthesis options by creating and controlling parameters that are otherwise difficult to maintain in conventional batch procedures. This study used a microfluidic platform with a cross-shape design as an innovative method for synthesizing silver nanoparticles and varied the precursor concentration and the purging speed as experimental parameters. The compositional and microstructural characterization of the obtained samples was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Four formulations of alginate-based hydrogels with the addition of hyaluronic acid and silver nanoparticles were obtained to highlight the antimicrobial activity of silver nanoparticles and the efficiency of such a composite in wound treatment. The porous structure, swelling capacity, and biological properties were evaluated through physicochemical analysis (FT-IR and SEM) and through contact with prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. The results of the physicochemical and biological investigations revealed desirable characteristics for performant wound dressings (i.e., biocompatibility, appropriate porous structure, swelling rate, and degradation rate, ability to inhibit biofilm formation, and cell growth stimulation capacity), and the obtained materials are thus recommended for treating chronic and infected wounds.
银纳米粒子的公认抗菌活性是一个研究得很好的特性，特别是在设计和开发具有医学应用的生物材料时。由于生物活性与材料的物理化学特性密切相关，因此应考虑颗粒形态和尺寸等方面。连续流动中的微流控系统代表了一种很有前途的方法，可以控制合成纳米粒子的尺寸、形状和尺寸分布。此外，使用微流控技术通过创建和控制在常规批量过程中难以维持的参数，拓宽了合成选择。本研究使用具有十字形设计的微流控平台作为合成银纳米粒子的创新方法，并将前体浓度和吹扫速度作为实验参数进行了变化。通过 X 射线衍射 (XRD)、扫描电子显微镜 (SEM)、透射电子显微镜 (TEM) 和动态光散射 (DLS) 对获得的样品进行了组成和微观结构表征。获得了四种含透明质酸和银纳米粒子的海藻酸钠水凝胶配方，以突出银纳米粒子的抗菌活性和这种复合材料在伤口治疗中的效率。通过物理化学分析（FT-IR 和 SEM）和与原核和真核细胞接触，对多孔结构、溶胀能力和生物性能进行了评估。物理化学和生物学研究的结果显示出了高性能伤口敷料的理想特性（即生物相容性、适当的多孔结构、溶胀率和降解率、抑制生物膜形成的能力以及细胞生长刺激能力），因此建议使用这些材料来治疗慢性和感染性伤口。
