In Situ Synthesis of Non-Cytotoxic Tellurium Nanoparticle and Methacrylate Photopolymer Resin Composite with Antibacterial Activity

Methacrylate photopolymer resin (MPR) is widely used in various fields, including the biomedical field. There are several problems associated with their use: the potential toxicity of monomer residues during incomplete polymerization and the possibility of bacterial expansion. Doping polymers with nanoparticles is one of the ways to increase the degree of polymerization (protection from toxicity), improve the performance characteristics of the polymer, and add antibacterial properties. We used an in situ polymerization method to obtain the composites of MPR with tellurium nanoparticles (TeNPs) with a dopant concentration of 0.001, 0.01, or 0.1% (<i>v</i>/<i>v</i>). The composite of MPR+TeNPs had a higher degree of polymerization compared to MPR without NPs, improved mechanical properties, and pronounced antibacterial activity. The effects depended on the concentration of TeNPs. All of the studied composites had no cytotoxic effect on human cells. MPR+TeNPs 0.1% had the maximum antibacterial effect, which is probably realized through Te-dependent induction of oxidative stress (increase in the generation of 9-oxoguanine and long-lived reactive forms of proteins). The results obtained deepen the knowledge about the influence of NPs of leading metals on photopolymerization and the final properties of the methacrylate matrix, and the synthesized MPR+TeNP composites may find potential biomedical applications in the future.