Li, M., Brooker, C., Ambike, R. et al. (4 more authors) (2024) Photodynamic, UV-curable and fibre-forming polyvinyl alcohol derivative with broad processability and staining-free antibacterial capability. European Polymer Journal, 228. 113794. ISSN 0014-3057
Abstract
Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (APDT) is a promising antibiotic-free strategy for broad-spectrum infection control in chronic wounds, minimising bacterial resistance risks. However, rapid photosensitiser diffusion, tissue staining, side toxicity, and short-lived antimicrobial effects present significant clinical limitations for integrating APDT into wound dressings. To address these challenges, we present the design of a bespoke polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) derivative conjugated with both phenothiazine and methacrylate functionalities, enabling staining-free antibacterial photodynamic effects, cellular tolerability and processability into various wound dressing formats, including films, textile fibres and nanoscale coatings. Tosylation of PVA is leveraged for the covalent coupling of toluidine blue ([TB]: 0.69 ± 0.03–0.81 ± 0.05 mg per gram of polymer), as confirmed by UV–Vis spectroscopy and the minimal average release of TB (≤ 3 wt%, < 0.4 µg) following 96-hour incubation in vitro. UV-induced network formation is demonstrated by complete solution gelation, rheology, and a high gel content (Ḡ > 95 wt%), and exploited to accomplish cast films and nanoscale integrated wound dressing coatings. UV curing is also successfully coupled with an in-house wet spinning process to realise individual, water-insoluble fibres as the building blocks of fibrous wound dressings. A fluorometric assay supports the generation of reactive oxygen species when the UV-cured samples are exposed to work, but not UV, light, yielding a mean log10 reduction of up to 2.13 in S. aureus, and the complete eradication of P. aeruginosa. Direct and extract cytotoxicity tests with UV-cured films and fibres demonstrate the viability of L929 fibroblasts following 60-min light irradiation and 72-hour cell culture. The bespoke molecular architecture, broad processability and cellular tolerability of this PVA derivative are highly attractive aiming to integrate durable staining-free photodynamic capability in a wide range of healthcare technologies, from chronic wound dressings up to minimally invasive localised therapy.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Cultures (Leeds) > School of Design (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Royal Society IEC\NSFC\223289 BBSRC (Biotechnology & Biological Sciences Research Council) BB/X011631/1 EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) EP/V009818/1 The Clothworkers' Company LEEDS39 The Clothworkers' Company Not Known |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 04 Feb 2025 11:50 |
Last Modified: | 17 Feb 2025 09:05 |
Published Version: | https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/... |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2025.113794 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:222841 |
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