A mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC) material that was first described in 2013 is currently being investigated for several industrial and life-science-based applications. In this paper, the effect of functionalising the surface of MMC with amine groups on the water interaction properties of the material is investigated in detail. Amine functionalisation enhanced the stability and water sorption-release properties of the material. This is explained by the low affinity between amine-functionalised MMC and water molecules, as attested by the high free/total water ratio shown by dielectric spectroscopy. This low affinity had an impact on the total amount of adsorbed water at low relative humidities (RHs) but not at high RHs. The functionalisation of MMC with amine groups also stabilised the material in moist environments, hindering spontaneous crystallisation. These results provide a more fundamental understanding of the water interaction properties of MMC and are also expected to facilitate optimisation of the stability of materials like this for novel drug formulations and other life-science applications, as well as for their use in humidity control.

Objectives. The aim of the study was to explore the debridement efficacy of different solutions of H₂O₂ and rutile particles against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms attached to titanium surfaces when exposed to visible light. Materials and Methods. Titanium discs cultivated with biofilms of Staphylococcus epidermidis or Pseudomonas aeruginosa were subjected for 1 min to suspensions consisting of rutile particles mixed with high (950 mM) or low (2 mM) concentrations of H₂O₂ under visible light irradiation (405 nm; 2.1 mW/cm²). Discs were rinsed and the degree of debridement was determined through scanning electron microscopy and viability assessment of the remaining bacteria using luminescence measurements and/or a metabolic activity assay. Results. Cleaning mixtures containing the higher concentration of H₂O₂ showed a significantly improved debridement compared to the negative control in all experiments. The addition of rutile particles was shown to have a statistically significant effect in one test with S. epidermidis. Limited evidence of the catalytic effect of visible light irradiation was seen, but effects were relatively small and statistically insignificant. Conclusions. H₂O₂ at a concentration of 950 mM proved to be the strongest contribution to the debridement and bactericidal effect of the cleaning techniques tested in this study.

Development of advanced dressings with antimicrobial properties for the treatment of infected wounds is an important approach in the fight against evolution of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains. Herein, the effects of ion-crosslinked nanocellulose hydrogels on bacteria commonly found in infected wounds were investigated in vitro. By using divalent calcium or copper ions as crosslinking agents, different antibacterial properties against the bacterial strains Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were obtained. Calcium crosslinked hydrogels were found to retard S. epidermidis growth (up to 266% increase in lag time, 36% increase in doubling time) and inhibited P. aeruginosa biofilm formation, while copper crosslinked hydrogels prevented S. epidermidis growth and were bacteriostatic towards P. aeruginosa (49% increase in lag time, 78% increase in doubling time). The wound dressing candidates furthermore displayed barrier properties towards both S. epidermidis and P. aeruginosa, hence making them interesting for further development of advanced wound dressings with tunable antibacterial properties.

Efficient charge carrier extraction from a colloidal quantum dot (CQD) solid is crucial for highperformance of CQD solar cells (CQDSCs). Herein, highly ordered wrinkled MgZnO (MZO) thin films aredemonstrated to improve the charge carrier extraction of PbS CQDSCs. The highly ordered wrinkledMZO thin films are prepared using a low-temperature combustion method. The photovoltaicperformances of CQDSCs with a combustion-processed MZO (CP-MZO) thin film as an electrontransport material (ETM) are compared to those of CQDSCs with a conventional sol–gel processed MZO(SGP-MZO) thin film as an ETM. We performed photoluminescence quenching measurements of thecolloidal quantum dot (CQD) solid and charge carrier dynamic analysis of full solar cell devices. Theresults show that the highly ordered wrinkled CP-MZO thin film significantly increases the chargecarrier extraction from the CQD solid and therefore diminishes the charge interfacial recombination atthe CQD/ETM junction, leading to a 15.5% increase in power conversion efficiency. The improvedefficiency in the CP-MZO based CQDSC is also attributed to the compact and pin-hole free CP-MZOthin film.

The need to combat poor water solubility has increased interest in supersaturating drug delivery systems. In this study, amorphous mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC) was used as a drug carrier to achieve supersaturation of tolfenamic acid and rimonabant, two drug compounds with low aqueous solubility. The potential synergy between MMC and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), a polymer commonly included as a precipitation inhibitor in drug delivery systems, was explored with the aim of extending the time that high supersaturation levels were maintained. Release was studied under physiological conditions using USP-2 dissolution baths. A new small-scale method was developed to enable measurement of the initial drug release occurring when the MMC is immersed in the water phase. It was shown that MMC and HPMC together resulted in significant supersaturation and that the polymer enabled both the achievement of a higher API concentration and extension of the supersaturation period. The new small-scale release method showed that the release was linearly increasing with the dose and that similar release rates were observed for the two model compounds. It was hence concluded that the MMC release was diffusion limited for the compounds explored.

Objectives

The combination of TiO₂ and H₂O₂ under light activation constitutes a promising method for disinfection of dental prosthetics and implants, due to production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of this work was to investigate the organic degradation ability of TiO₂ particles in combination with H₂O₂ and under light activation utilizing the organic dye rhodamine B (RhB).

Methods

Five different types of TiO₂ particles, consisting of anatase, rutile, or a mixture of these crystalline phases, were combined with H₂O₂ and RhB, and subsequently exposed to UV (365 nm) or visible (405 nm) light at an irradiance of 2.1 mW/cm².

Results

It was found that rutile in combination with low concentrations of H₂O₂ (1.0–3.5 mM) resulted in a degradation of RhB of 96% and 77% after 10 min exposure to 365 nm and 405 nm light, respectively, which was the highest degradation of all test groups. Control measurements performed without light irradiation or irradiation at 470 nm, or without TiO₂ particles resulted in little or no degradation of RhB.

Conclusions

Low H₂O₂ concentrations (1.0 mM–3.5 mM) and visible light (405 nm) used in combination with rutile TiO₂ particles showed the highest RhB degradation capacity.

Clinical significance

A combination of TiO₂ particles and H₂O₂ exposed to low energy UV or high energy visible light has an organic degradation capability that could be utilized in applications to kill or inactivate bacteria on medical devices such as dental implants for treatment against, e.g., peri-implantitis.

We have measured the dynamics of water confined in a porous magnesium carbonate material, Upsalite (R), using the high-resolution neutron backscattering spectrometer SPHERES. We found quasielastic scattering that does not flatten out up to 360 K, which means that the dynamics of water are much slower than in other matrix materials. Specifically, a single Lorentzian line could be fitted to the quasielastic part of the acquired spectra between 220 and 360 K. This, accompanied by an elastic line from dynamically frozen water present at all experimental temperatures, even above the melting point, signaled a significant amount of bound or slow water.

Implanted materials are susceptible to bacterial colonization and biofilm formation, which can result in severe infection and lost implant function. UV induced photocatalytic disinfection on TiO2 and release of Ag⁺ ions are two promising strategies to combat such events, and can be combined for improved efficiency. In the current study, a combinatorial physical vapor deposition technique was utilized to construct a gradient coating between Ag and Ti oxide, and the coating was evaluated for antibacterial properties in darkness and under UV light against Staphylococcus epidermidis. The findings revealed a potent antibacterial effect in darkness due to Ag⁺ release, with near full elimination (97%) of viable bacteria and visible cell lysis on Ag dominated surfaces. The photocatalytic activity, however, was demonstrated poor due to low TiO2 crystallinity, and UV light irradiation of the coating did not contribute to the antibacterial effect. On the contrary, bacterial viability was in several instances higher after UV illumination, proposing a UV induced SOS response from the bacteria that limited the reduction rate during Ag⁺ exposure. Such secondary effects should thus be considered in the development of multifunctional coatings that rely on UV activation. 

Mesoporous magnesium carbonate (MMC) was first presented in 2013, and this material is currently under consideration for use in a number of biotechnological applications including topical formulations. This study presents the first evaluation of the antibacterial properties of the material with mesoporous silica and two other magnesium-containing powder materials used as references. All powder materials in this study are sieved to achieve a particle size distribution between 25 and 75 μm. The Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus epidermidis is used as the model bacterium due to its prevalence on human skin, its likelihood of developing resistance to antibiotics, for example, from routine exposure to antibiotics secreted in sweat, and because it is found inside affected acne vulgaris pores. Quantification of bacterial viability using a metabolic activity assay with resazurin as the fluorescent indicator shows that MMC exerts a strong antibacterial effect on the bacteria and that alkalinity accounts for the major part of this effect. The results open up for further development of MMC in on-skin applications where bacterial growth inhibition without using antibiotics is deemed favorable.