Microstructural characterization of acrylic resins composed of semiconductors to promote antimicrobial activity

Abstract

Dental materials with antimicrobial properties are innovative and extremely desirable for treatment of oral conditions. The aim of this study will be to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of silver tungstate semiconductor (±-Ag2WO4) compared to nanostructured silver vanadate (²-AgVO3) and incorporated into two acrylic resins against Candida albicans, Streptococcus mutans, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in previously determined proportions, and to examine the mechanical properties and incorporation pattern of silver tungstate and silver vanadate in the resins. Characterization of the semiconductor and nanomaterial will be carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), energy dispersive elemental analysis (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The antimicrobial properties of acrylic resins incorporated with different percentages of ²-AgVO3 and ±-Ag2WO4 will be investigated by XTT reduction method, colony forming units (CFU) and biofilm analysis by epifluorescence microscopy and the mechanical behavior by surface hardness and roughness, flexural, compressive and impact strength tests. The incorporation pattern of ²-AgVO3 and ±-Ag2WO4 in the resins will be analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive elemental analysis (EDS). The data will be statistically analyzed depending on their distribution pattern.