New films can be used as membranes for food chemistry processes or the synthesis of certain chemical compounds
Employees of the Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU) and the Institute of Chemistry of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences synthesized polymer films with antibacterial properties that can be widely used in medicine, the FENU press service said on Monday. The results are published in the journal Polymer Engineering and Science.
The antiseptic properties of polymethyl-acrylamide (PMAA) films have been tested for Staphylococcus aureus and bacteria of the Sea of ​​Japan. Antibacterial effect of scientists associated with formaldehyde, as accumulated in the pores of the film during its synthesis, and separated from the structure of the films during testing.
“The results obtained are of significant practical importance,” said the author of Lidiya Kolzunova, “Polymers are a favorable environment for the development of bacteria and the formation of biofilms, so it is important to give them antibacterial properties.” Biocidal action on microorganisms PMAA can find application in medicine, for example, Antiseptic materials and implants, as well as to protect equipment from biocorrosion. ”
Experiments have shown that the new material is biodegradable: after 45 days, the films lost their antiseptic properties and, on the contrary, became a breeding ground for bacteria. Thus, antiseptic films PMAA can be easily disposed of after performing their functions.
According to scientists, new polymer films can be used as membranes for food chemistry processes (milk sterilization, production of non-alcoholic beer and wine) or synthesis of some chemical compounds.
How to get a new material
Polymer films were deposited using the electropolymerization method-that is, by applying a small electrical voltage to the solutions of the respective monomers. During the synthesis, formaldehyde was also added to the material, which formed chemical bonds with PMAA and gave antibacterial properties to the films. With the help of electropolymerization polymer coatings were applied in 5-10 minutes, and water was used as the solvent, which makes this technique inexpensive, non-toxic, fire and explosion-proof. In other modern works, polymeric antiseptic coatings are obtained with the help of a much more complex and multistage synthesis.

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