The pattern of adsorption of cationic antiseptics to polymethylmethacrylate.

Few studies have reported the maximum potential of surfaces to adsorb the cationic antiseptics and few comparisons between antiseptics have been carried out. The purpose of this investigation was to measure the maximum uptake of alexidine, cetyl pyridinium chloride, chlorhexidine gluconate and chlorhexidine acetate to polymethylmethacrylate and by the construction of adsorption isotherms determine the pattern of molecular attachment to the recipient surface. The mean maximum adsorption findings for these antiseptics demonstrated significantly greater uptake of cetyl pyridinium chloride than the other antiseptics and significantly less uptake of alexidine compared with the other antiseptics. All four antiseptics showed a Langmuir type adsorption isotherm consistent with the formation of a monolayer of molecules on the recipient surface. For chlorhexidine preliminary studies demonstrated that the pattern of adsorption was not altered by saliva pre-treatment of surfaces. No evidence of molecular multilayering was observed even at higher concentrations of the antiseptics. However, the maximum uptake on to the surface was significantly increased when no post-treatment washings were carried out. It was concluded that this increased uptake would be unlikely to play an important role in antiplaque activity because of its relative instability. The pH dependency for the adsorption of these antiseptics was demonstrated such that as previously observed for chlorhexidine gluconate at low pH adsorption is almost completely, or completely, prevented.