Nylon 6, 12/Cloisite 30B Electrospun Nanocomposites for Dental Applications

In this study, nylon-nanoclay fibers were prepared by electrospinning. The electrospun membranes were characterized by fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR), electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction studies (XRD), contact angle and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. The incorporation of nanoclay (Cloisite 30B) to the electrospun membrane which was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) showed improvements in the overall properties of the membrane. Antimicrobial studies carried out using Enterococcus faecalis and Candida albicans showed that antimicrobial activity of the membrane with higher clay loading was comparable to that of commercially available dental antiseptic, even though lower clay concentrations did not show antimicrobial effects. The incremental addition of the Cloisite 30B resulted in significant increase in the antimicrobial activity and hydrophobicity.