Antimicrobial Biomaterials based on Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Biomaterials that inactivate bacteria are needed to eliminate medical device infections. We investigate the antimicrobial nature of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) incorporated within biomedical polymers. In the first part, we focus on SWNT dispersed in the common biomedical polymer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as a potential antimicrobial biomaterial. We find Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermidis viability and metabolic activity to be significantly diminished in the presence of SWNT-PLGA, and to correlate with SWNT length and concentration. Up to 98 % of bacteria die within one hour of SWNT-PLGA versus 15-20% on pure PLGA. Shorter SWNT are found to be more toxic, possibly due to an increased density of open tube ends. In the second part, we investigate the antimicrobial activity of SWNT layer-by-layer (LbL) assembled with the polyelectrolytes poly(L-lysine) (PLL) and poly(L-glutamic acid) (PGA). The dispersibility of SWNT in aqueous solution is significantly improved via the biocompatible nonionic surfactant polyoxyethylene(20)sorbitan monolaurate (Tween 20) and the amphiphilic polymer phospholipid-poly(ethylene glycol) (PL-PEG). Absorbance spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) show SWNT with either Tween 20 or PL-PEG in aqueous solution to be well dispersed. Quartz crystal microgravimetry with dissipation (QCMD) measurements show both SWNT-Tween and SWNT-PL-PEG to LbL assemble with PLL and PGA into multilayer films, with the PL-PEG system yielding the greater final SWNT content. Bacterial inactivation rates are significantly higher (up to 90%) upon 24 hour incubation with SWNT containing films, compared to control films (ca. 20%). In the third part, we study the influence of bundling on the LbL assembly of SWNT with charged polymers, and on the antimicrobial properties of the assembled film. QCMD measurements show the bundled SWNT system to adsorb in an unusually strong fashion—to an extent three times greater than that of isolated SWNT. Scanning electron micrographs reveal Escherichia coli on bundled SWNT films to be essentially engulfed by the nanotubes, whereas the bacteria rest upon the isolated SWNT films. While both systems inactivate 90% of bacteria following 24 h, the bundled SWNT system is "fast-acting", reaching this inactivation rate in 1 hr. This thesis demonstrates the potential usefulness of SWNT/polymer thin films as antimicrobial biomaterials.