Modification of polymeric materials with nanostructured surface by fulleropyrrolidines for medical applications

N.S. Ovchinnikova Department of Chemistry,
Moscow State University, 119992 Moscow, Russia

Biomaterials with nanostructured surface (NSS) represent a novel interesting class of materials with a rich spectrum of possible applications in biology and medicine (for example, surface coatings of implants, cell cultivation media, and materials for the industry of drugs and medical systems for external administration). Here we report first successful modification of NSS polymers with bioactive organic derivatives of fullerenes.

The original polymeric material, polyethylene terephthalate, was treated with ion beams of chemically active gas mixture (O2+N2) in order to create NSS. Further modification of NSS comprised two stages. On the first stage, NSS polymers were modified by means of vapor deposition of carbon films (10, 20, 50 and 100 nm thick). The second stage involved fulleropyrrolidines deposition by means of spin coating technique. Fulleropyrrolidines with indole, quinoline and 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin moieties were obtained via the Prato reaction [1].

Investigation of antimicrobial activity of polymeric materials with NSS modified by fulleropyrrolidines with indole and quinoline moieties was carried out with the use of various cultures, namely Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Candida albicans. In most cases we observed either appearance or improvement of antimicrobial properties of obtained materials, as compared to the original polymers without fullerene modifiers.

Preliminary experiments have showed that polymeric materials with NSS modified by fulleropyrrolidine with 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin moiety possess cytotoxicity against breast cancer cells. And, moreover, the immunological investigation of fulleropyrrolidine with 2H-tetraphenylporphyrin moiety showed that this fullerene derivative possesses immunopotentiating activity. Combination of such material properties gives wide perspectives for therapy of a cancer.