Antimicrobial properties of pristine and gamma irradiated polycarbonate sheets

Antibacterial properties of polycarbonate (PC) sheets were investigated from the growth of Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa on its pristine form and on gamma irradiated form with doses 5–60 kGy. These sheets were then characterized using Ultra Violet Visible (UV-Vis), Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FTIR), Raman, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Contact angle measurements for studying their physical, optical and surface morphological properties. X-ray diffraction (XRD) revealed modifications in the structural arrangement of the polymer due to gamma irradiation, with changes in peak intensity suggesting localized ordering rather than overall crystallinity enhancement. The optical band gap, as determined from UV-Visible spectra, exhibited a substantial reduction from 3.14 eV to 2.80 eV. The results of FTIR and Raman spectra showed the changes in the peak intensities due to chain scissoning of molecules. Contact angle increased after gamma irradiation indicating the change from hydrophilic to hydrophobic nature of PC samples. These results assure the surface modification in the gamma irradiated polycarbonate which helps in growth inhibition of Candida albicans and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as compared to the growth on its pristine form. This was confirmed from SEM images taken after bacterial growth on films. Cytotoxicity assay performed using L929 cell line confirms the compatibility of the irradiated films with the healthy cell line and its safe applications in medical devices. • Polycarbonate films were gamma irradiated and analyzed by UV, FTIR, XRD, and SEM. • Gamma-induced changes in surface aid biofilm inhibition of Candida and Pseudomonas. • Cytotoxicity tests confirm biocompatibility of irradiated films with healthy cells.