Sulfur-Polymer Nanoparticles: Preparation and Antibacterial Activity



Dop, Romy A ORCID: 0000-0002-3903-7236, Neill, Daniel R ORCID: 0000-0002-7911-8153 and Hasell, Tom ORCID: 0000-0003-4736-0604
(2023) Sulfur-Polymer Nanoparticles: Preparation and Antibacterial Activity. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 15 (17). pp. 20822-20832.

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Abstract

High sulfur content polymers prepared by inverse vulcanization have many reported potential applications, including as novel antimicrobial materials. High sulfur content polymers usually have limited water-solubility and dispersibility due to their hydrophobic nature, which could limit the development of their applications. Herein, we report the formulation of high sulfur content polymeric nanoparticles by a nanoprecipitation and emulsion-based method. High sulfur content polymeric nanoparticles were found to have an inhibitory effect against important bacterial pathogens, including Gram-positive methicillin-resistant <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> and Gram-negative <i>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</i>. Salt-stable particles were formulated with the addition of a surfactant, which did not inhibit the antibacterial activity of the polymeric particles. Furthermore, the polymeric nanoparticles were found to inhibit <i>S. aureus</i> biofilm formation and exhibited low cytotoxicity against mammalian liver cells. Interaction of the polymeric particles with cellular thiols could be a potential mechanism of action against bacterial cells, as demonstrated by reaction with cysteine as a model thiol. The findings presented demonstrate methods of preparing aqueous dispersions of high sulfur content polymeric nanoparticles that could have useful biological applications.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: inverse vulcanization, sulfur, polysulfides, antibacterial, biofilm inhibition, nanoparticles
Divisions: Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
Faculty of Science and Engineering > School of Physical Sciences
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 20 Apr 2023 14:59
Last Modified: 29 May 2023 20:37
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c03826
Related URLs:
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3169807