Synthesis of mechanically robust antimicrobial nanocomposites by click coupling of hyperbranched polyurethane and carbon nanotubes

• Published in: Polymer (Guilford) Vol. 53; no. 10; pp. 2023 - 2031
• Main Authors: Yadav, Santosh Kumar, Mahapatra, Sibdas Singha, Cho, Jae Whan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 25.04.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: antibacterial properties; Applied sciences; Carbon nanotubes; Click chemistry; Escherichia coli; Exact sciences and technology; Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; Gram-negative bacteria; Hyperbranched polymer; nanocomposites; Organic polymers; Physicochemistry of polymers; Polymers with particular structures; polyurethanes; Preparation, kinetics, thermodynamics, mechanism and catalysts; Raman spectroscopy; reaction chemistry; scanning electron microscopy; transmission electron microscopy; X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy; Carbon nanotubes; Hyperbranched polymer; Click chemistry; Biological properties; 1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition; Surface reaction; Aminoalcohol; Branched polymer; Organic azide; Mechanical properties; Experimental study; Polyaddition; Bactericidal effect; Chemical coupling; Heat of transformation; Triazole derivative polymer; Multiwalled nanotube; Morphology; Preparation; Transformation point; Antibacterial agent; Etherurethane polymer; Graft polymers
• ISSN: 0032-3861; 1873-2291
• DOI: 10.1016/j.polymer.2012.03.010

This study demonstrates that mechanically robust antimicrobial nanocomposites of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and hyperbranched polyurethane (HBPU) can be prepared via a click chemistry reaction. Various compositions of HBPU-functionalized MWCNTs were synthesized from reactions of azide moiety-containing HBPU with alkyne-functionalized MWCNTs. The HBPU-functionalized MWCNTs were characterized morphologically using transmission electron microscopy and field emission scanning electron microscopy and chemically using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The functionalized MWCNTs exhibited excellent dispersion in the HBPU matrix, and as a result, superior mechanical and strong antibacterial properties were obtained. The antimicrobial properties were examined by use of gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli (E. coli). Consequently the click coupled bonding of MWCNTs with HBPU was very efficient for regulating the composite properties and achieving high performance materials. [Display omitted]