Sintered and 3D-Printed Bulks of MgB<sub>2</sub>-Based Materials with Antimicrobial Properties
Petre Badica,
Nicolae Dan Batalu,
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc,
Mihail Burdusel,
Mihai Alexandru Grigoroscuta,
Gheorghe Virgil Aldica,
Iuliana Pasuk,
Andrei Kuncser,
Marcela Popa,
Angelo Agostino,
Lorenza Operti,
Santanu Kumar Padhi,
Valentina Bonino,
Marco Truccato
Affiliations
Petre Badica
National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Nicolae Dan Batalu
Faculty of Material Science and Engineering, University Politehnica of Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania
Mariana Carmen Chifiriuc
Faculty of Biology and The Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
Mihail Burdusel
National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Mihai Alexandru Grigoroscuta
National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Gheorghe Virgil Aldica
National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Iuliana Pasuk
National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Andrei Kuncser
National Institute of Materials Physics, 405A Atomistilor Street, 077125 Magurele, Romania
Marcela Popa
Faculty of Biology and The Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), University of Bucharest, 91-95 Splaiul Independentei, 050095 Bucharest, Romania
Angelo Agostino
Physics and Chemistry Departments, University of Turin, 1-7 Via Pietro Giuria, 10125 Turin, Italy
Lorenza Operti
Physics and Chemistry Departments, University of Turin, 1-7 Via Pietro Giuria, 10125 Turin, Italy
Santanu Kumar Padhi
Physics and Chemistry Departments, University of Turin, 1-7 Via Pietro Giuria, 10125 Turin, Italy
Valentina Bonino
Physics and Chemistry Departments, University of Turin, 1-7 Via Pietro Giuria, 10125 Turin, Italy
Marco Truccato
Physics and Chemistry Departments, University of Turin, 1-7 Via Pietro Giuria, 10125 Turin, Italy
Pristine high-density bulk disks of MgB2 with added hexagonal BN (10 wt.%) were prepared using spark plasma sintering. The BN-added samples are machinable by chipping them into desired geometries. Complex shapes of different sizes can also be obtained by the 3D printing of polylactic acid filaments embedded with MgB2 powder particles (10 wt.%). Our present work aims to assess antimicrobial activity quantified as viable cells (CFU/mL) vs. time of sintered and 3D-printed materials. In vitro antimicrobial tests were performed against the bacterial strains Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas aeruginosa ATCC 27853, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923, Enterococcus faecium DSM 13590, and Enterococcus faecalis ATCC 29212; and the yeast strain Candida parapsilosis ATCC 22019. The antimicrobial effects were found to depend on the tested samples and microbes, with E. faecium being the most resistant and E. coli the most susceptible.
