ABSTRACT
This chapter includes the detailed study on the structural properties and biological activity of both polystyrene films and polystyrene films filled with fullerene. The structural characteristics of polystyrene films modified by the incorporation of fullerenes were researched by the infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction technique. According to IR-spectroscopy data it was suggested that intermolecular interaction between polymer’s phenyl ring and fullerene molecule occurs in the composite material. Semi quantitative analysis of IR spectra of the studied films with application of a method of a base line and internal standard was carried out. By the X-ray diffraction technique it is shown that there is the intermediate-range order in these materials. Incorporation of fullerenes into polymer matrix does not change the value of the repetitive characteristic distance in structural arrangement, but increases a correlation length (a scale of the intermediate-range ordering) in the disordered phase.
The glass transition temperatures, T g, in range of 293–423 K have been determined for the films by DSC technique. The plasticization of the polymer is observed in thermal properties of the films under influence of small fullerene additions. The value of T decreases as fullerene content increases g
up to 0.02 wt.%. The effect of interaction between polymer and fullerene molecules on thermal properties becomes evident at higher fullerene content in range from 0.02 to 0.1 wt.%.
To assess bioactivity of pure polystyrene and filled composite with fullerene the laboratory tests were conducted in biologic fluids (blood serum). We have studied the influence of polymer materials researched on free-radical processes in blood serum in vitro. Lipid per oxidation was evaluated by induced chemiluminescence. We supposed that fullerene-containing polystyrene films may inhibit peroxidation processes.
Antimicrobial activity of the polystyrene-fullerene composites was tested against gram-positives (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa) microorganisms and mushrooms of the type Candida albicans. The test results showed absolute death of the microorganisms under the modified film. It should be noted that dynamics of the microorganism inactivation persists during a month.
