Antibacterial effects of nanoparticles, composite quantum dots and silk proteins attached to dental titanium alloy.

Purpose: To present the antibacterial effect of new generation boron-doped carbon quantum dots (B-CQD) and compare the antibacterial effect of silk sericin (SS), hydrolyzed silk peptide (HSP) and SS/HSP coated silver nanoparticle (AgNP) and B-CQDs on titanium alloy (Ti) surfaces.

Methods: SS and HSP were formed on the surface of the Ti alloy (Ti-SS/HSP). Different concentrations of citric acid and boric acid, B-CQDs and AgNP were attached to Ti-SS/HSP surfaces. To characterize all samples, Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray (EDS) analyses were performed. Their antibacterial potential was analyzed against gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) with Mueller-Hinton Test. One-way ANOVA was used to assess any difference between groups. P< 0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: No antibacterial activity was detected for Ti and SS/HSP. Inhibition holes ranged from 11 mm to 25.7±3.2 mm and 11 mm to 26.3±0.6 mm in the S. aureus and P. aeruginosa cultures respectively, showing that AgNP was the molecule which had the least antibacterial effect regardless of type of bound silk protein on both bacteria, and B-CQD had antibacterial superiority against S. aureus and P. aeruginosa on Ti-SS surfaces.

Clinical significance: The application of boron-doped carbon quantum dots to titanium alloy surfaces is a new approach for the development of a powerful bactericidal method to prevent implant failures.