Novel Bioactive Polyurethanes with Silver and Copper Nanoparticles: Preparation and Performance

Polyurethanes are well-known materials widely used for the manufacturing of medical devices due to their excellent physical, mechanical properties, and biocompatibility. However, their lack of inherent biological activity limits their application. This study introduces biologically active metal-containing polyurethanes through the incorporation of silver and copper nanoparticles into the polymer matrix. Using electron beam evaporation technology and vacuum deposition, a uniform distribution of metal nanoparticles was achieved. Initially, a colloid of metal nanoparticles in liquid polyoxytetramethylene glycol (POTMG), MM 1000 was prepared, which was subsequently used to produce metal-containing thermoplastic polyurethane. The nanoparticles' size distribution and shape in the polymer matrix mirrored those in the POTMG colloid. The resulting polyurethane nanocomposites, containing individual or combined nanoparticles at concentrations of 666–15 ppm, displayed significant biological activity, demonstrated by a synergistic bactericidal effect against bacteria and yeasts, as well as fungicidal activity against fungi. Importantly, these nanocomposites did not exhibit toxicity to tissue culture cells, and no biodegradation products were observed in the culture medium. The presence of metal nanoparticles did not compromise the polymer's physical properties, allowing the use of standard polyurethane processing methods to produce medical products.