Effect of chitosan-zinc oxide composite on polyether ether ketone implant material: antibacterial activity, surface roughness and microhardness
Morad Kashef, Gehan A. ElOlimy, El-Refaie Kenawy, Mahmoud H. Farghali, Samy El-SaftyBackground
Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) is known for its biocompatibility and acceptable mechanical properties. However, its bio-inert nature makes it susceptible to bacterial colonization, that limits its clinical effectiveness. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of chitosan (CHT)-zinc oxide (ZnO) composite surface treatment on antibacterial activity, surface roughness, and microhardness of PEEK implant material.
Patienta and methods
The study was conducted using four groups of PEEK samples: Group I: Unmodified PEEK (Control); Group II: Sulfonated PEEK grafted with ZnO (Zn-S-PEEK); Group III: Chitosan-grafted Chlorosulfonated PEEK (CHT-Cl-S-PEEK); and group IV: ZnO-Chitosan composite grafted on Chlorosulfonated PEEK (Zn-CHT-Cl-S-PEEK). After that, the surface of each specimen was characterized by a scanning electron microscope (SEM), fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. Antibacterial properties were evaluated using (SEM), surface roughness was evaluated using (ZYGO Maxim-GP 200 profilometer, USA), and Vickers microhardness was examined by (Zwick/Roell INDENTEC, ZHV μ -S, West Midlands, England). One-way ANOVA was used to detect significance between groups, and
Results
SEM, fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis analyses collectively confirmed that the modification of the PEEK material was successful. ZnO and CHT modifications improved the antibacterial properties against
Conclusion
ZnO and CHT modifications improve PEEK’s antibacterial properties, making it suitable for dental implants. However, microhardness reduction and increased surface roughness need to be balanced for long-term durability and osseointegration.