Polyelectrolyte multilayers are nanofilms with vast applications in numerous areas such as medicine and food industry. Recently, they have been getting a lot of attention as potential food coatings for the prevention of fruit decay during transportation and storage, and therefore the coatings need to be biocompatible. In this study, we fabricated thin films made of biocompatible polyelectrolytes, positively charged polysaccharide chitosan, and negatively charged carboxymethyl cellulose on a model silica surface. Typically, to enhance the properties of the prepared nanofilms, the first layer (precursor layer) of poly(ethyleneimine) is used. However, for the construction of completely biocompatible coatings, this could be problematic due to potential toxicity. This study offers an option for a viable candidate as a replacement precursor layer: chitosan itself was adsorbed from a more concentrated solution. In the case of chitosan/carboxymethyl cellulose films, using chitosan over poly(ethyleneimine) as a precursor layer has shown a twofold increase in film thickness, as well as an increase in film roughness. In addition, these properties can be tuned by the presence of a biocompatible background salt (e.g., sodium chloride) in the deposition solution that has proven to change the film thickness and surface roughness depending on the salt concentration. Such a straightforward way of tuning the properties of these films combined with their biocompatibility makes this precursor material a prime candidate for use as a potential food coating.

In this study, the surface properties and corrosion behavior of a titanium sample modified with an electrochemically formed oxide layer (Ti|TiO ₂ ) and Ti|TiO ₂ sample coated with poly( N -ethyl-4-vinylpyridinium) cations (PE4VP) were studied.

Due to teeth loss, a large proportion of the elderly rely on full or partial dentures for esthetic, speaking, and eating reasons. A variety of polymers are used in the production of removable prostheses, with poly­(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) being a widely used material for making denture bases. However, underdenture stomatitis caused by the fungi Candida albicans is still an open problem. The purpose of this work was to consider the impact of polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) coating on PMMA surfaces and the effect of the addition of sucrose on the adhesion properties of C. albicans. Two polyelectrolytes were applied for the formation of the PEM coating: poly­(allylamine) hydrochloride (PAH) and poly­(acrylic) acid (PAA). The uncoated and coated surfaces were characterized in terms of topography, surface potential, and hydrophobicity. The extent of adhesion of C. albicans to the surfaces was assessed by scanning electron microscopy. Results show that surfaces coated with negatively charged PAA as the PEM terminating layer adhere less C. albicans than uncoated PMMA or surfaces coated with positively charged PAH as the PEM terminating layer. The addition of sucrose increases the fungal adhesion extent of C. albicans to both types of coated surfaces, lowering the PAA antiadhesion properties. With the addition of sucrose, we were trying to mimic the impact of dentures on patients with a sugar-rich diet.