Influence of Solvent and Substrate on Hydrophobicity of PLA Films

The study of the surface properties of materials is key in determining whether the material will be suitable for medical purposes. One of these properties is hydrophobicity, which is important when assessing its behavior against bacterial adhesion. In this work, we have studied the influence of the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polymers 2021-12, Vol.13 (24), p.4289
Main Authors: Luque-Agudo, Verónica, Gallardo-Moreno, Amparo M, González-Martín, María Luisa
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Chloroform
Contact angle
Glass substrates
Humidity
Hydrophobic surfaces
Hydrophobicity
Influence
Material properties
Polylactic acid
Polymers
Silicone resins
Silicones
Solvents
Surface properties
Surface tension
Tetrahydrofuran
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Summary:The study of the surface properties of materials is key in determining whether the material will be suitable for medical purposes. One of these properties is hydrophobicity, which is important when assessing its behavior against bacterial adhesion. In this work, we have studied the influence of the solvent (chloroform, acetone, and tetrahydrofuran) and the substrate (glass, PTFE, silicone, and Ti6Al4V) on which polylactic acid is deposited in solution to manufacture films by solvent-casting. Thus, it has been found that there are no significant differences in hydrophobicity and surface tension among the solvents evaluated, but there are significant differences with respect to the substrates: PLA films casted on silicone are hydrophobic, while those casted on the rest of the substrates are hydrophilic. This is related to the fact that the silicone interacts with the polymer modifying its spatial arrangement, exposing its methyl groups towards the interface with the air. In this way, it has been shown that, when manufacturing PLA films, it is important to choose the right surface on which to deposit them, depending on their desired function.
ISSN:2073-4360
2073-4360
DOI:10.3390/polym13244289