Deposition of Ag/TMC Nanoparticles via MAPLE to Enhance the Mechanical and Antimicrobial Properties of Silicone Hydrogel

Surface treatment of silicone hydrogels is essential for achieving suitable mechanical properties and high antimicrobial effectiveness. Incorporating biocompatible nanostructures into a silicone hydrogel can improve its mechanical strength and hydrophilicity. However, few studies have focused on directly depositing hybrid nanostructures onto a silicone hydrogel to enhance both its antimicrobial effectiveness and mechanical properties. Additionally, the impact of environmental conditions, such as hydration and physiological temperature, on the mechanical behavior of the nanostructure-deposited silicone hydrogel remains unclear. Herein, matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) with a pulsed Nd:YAG laser at 532 nm has been applied to directly deposit silver/<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>,<i>N</i>-trimethyl chitosan nanoparticles (Ag/TMC NPs) on the surface of silicone hydrogels. The effect of MAPLE irradiation time (<i>t</i>) on the deposition of organic-inorganic hybrid nanostructures on the silicone hydrogel has been studied. The Young's modulus of silicone hydrogel deposited with Ag/TMC NPs increased from 76 to 139.38 kPa when <i>t</i> increases from 0 to 120 min. Meanwhile, the mechanical behavior of the silicone hydrogel deposited with Ag/TMC NPs was evaluated at different swelling states and environmental conditions, showing that the mechanical strength of the hydrogel strongly depends on hydration and temperature. On the other hand, the antimicrobial efficiency of silicone hydrogel deposited with Ag/TMC NPs against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) increased by approximately 83.8 and 114.7%, respectively, when <i>t</i> increases from 0 to 120 min. In addition, NIH3T3 cells treated with a silicone hydrogel with/without the deposition of hybrid nanostructures were analyzed, indicating that the deposited nanostructures do not exhibit toxic effects on cells. Overall, this study demonstrates the versatility of MAPLE as a technique for depositing hybrid nanostructures onto silicone hydrogels to achieve improved mechanical and antimicrobial properties.