ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Enhancement of the mechanical and antibacterial properties of Bis-GMA/TEGDMA dental composite incorporated with ZnO/CS and Si/PMMA core–shell nanostructures

Izel Ok and Ahmet Aykac

Department of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Izmir Katip Celebi University, Izmir, Turkey

E-mail: ahmet.aykac@ikcu.edu.tr

Received: 27 April 2023  Accepted: 15 July 2023

Abstract:

In this study, Si/PMMA and ZnO/CS core–shell structures were synthesized as inorganic fillers and added to a bisphenol A diglycidyl dimethacrylate (Bis-GMA)/triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) (50%/50%) commercial dental composite at a weight percentage (wt%) of 0.1–1.0% to simultaneously improve the mechanical and antibacterial properties of the composite. The prepared composites were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential (ζ-potential), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscope (SEM), ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometer (UV–Vis), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD). The mechanical properties, including flexural strength and flexural modulus, of the composite were investigated by three-point bending tests. Additionally, the antibacterial activity against the Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) bacteria strain was evaluated using the colony-forming unit method to assess the antibacterial effect of the novel composite. As a result, the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA-Si/PMMA/ZnO/CS dental composite, reinforced with 0.1 wt% Si/PMMA and 0.5 wt% ZnO/CS, exhibited a 46% improvement in flexural strength and a 56% improvement in flexural modulus compared to pristine Bis-GMA/TEGDMA. Moreover, the novel Bis-GMA/TEGDMA-Si/PMMA/ZnO/CS dental composite showed a 95% reduction in bacterial growth against the S. aureus bacteria strain.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords: Bis-GMA/TEGDMA; Dental filling composite; Si/PMMA; ZnO/CS; Core–shell; Mechanical strength; Antibacterial properties

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-023-02989-9

Chemical Papers 77 (11) 6959–6973 (2023)