Infections caused by bacteria are one of the main causes of mortality in hospitals all over the world. Bacteria can grow on many different surfaces and when this occurs, and bacteria colonize a surface, biofilms are formed. In this context, one of the main concerns is biofilm formation on medical devices such as urinary catheters, cardiac valves, pacemakers or prothesis. The development of bacteria also occurs on materials used for food packaging, wearable electronics or the textile industry. In all these applications polymeric materials are usually present. Research and development of polymer-based antibacterial materials is crucial to avoid the proliferation of bacteria. In this paper, we present a review about polymeric materials with antibacterial materials. The main strategies to produce materials with antibacterial properties are presented, for instance, the incorporation of inorganic particles, micro or nanostructuration of the surfaces and antifouling strategies are considered. The antibacterial mechanism exerted in each case is discussed. Methods of materials preparation are examined, presenting the main advantages or disadvantages of each one based on their potential uses. Finally, a review of the main characterization techniques and methods used to study polymer based antibacterial materials is carried out, including the use of single force cell spectroscopy, contact angle measurements and surface roughness to evaluate the role of the physicochemical properties and the micro or nanostructure in antibacterial behavior of the materials.

A study of thermal relaxations in PS and PS–BaTiO₃composites using FTIR spectroscopy: in-depth analysis and new molecular-scale information.

Sizing glass fibers with silane coupling agents enhances the adhesion and the durability of the fiber/polymer matrix interface in composite materials. There are several tests to determine the interfacial strength between a fiber and resin, but all of them present difficulties in interpreting the results and/or sample preparation. In this study, we observed the influence of different aminosilanes fiber coatings on the resistance of epoxy-based composite materials using a very easy fractographic test. In addition, we tried a new fluorescence method to get information on a molecular level precisely at the interface. Strength was taken into account from two standpoints: (i) mechanical strength and (ii) the resistance to hydrolysis of the interface in oriented glass-reinforced epoxy-based composites. Three silanes: gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, gamma-Aminopropylmethyldiethoxysilane, and gamma-Aminopropyldimethylethoxysilane were used to obtain different molecular structures at the interface. It was concluded that: (i) the more accessible amine groups are, the higher the interface rigidity is; (ii) an interpenetrating network mechanism seems to be the most important for adhesion and therefore to the interfacial strength; and (iii) the higher the degree of crosslinking in the silane coupling layer is, the higher the hydrolytic damage rate is.