Functional Hydrogel Coatings on Medical-Grade Silicone Implants

Abstract

This study presents an effective strategy for chemical functionalization of medical-grade silicone implant – polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface by grafting polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) hydrogel loaded with an antibiotic (gentamicin). Spectroscopic characterization confirmed the successful formation of a stable PVP hydrogel layer on implant surface. Surface wettability was significantly improved, with the water contact angle decrease from 119° to 77°, indicating enhanced hydrophilicity. Importantly, the functionalized surface containing antibiotic exhibited effective antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus (inhibition zone ≥30 mm) and Escherichia coli (inhibition zone ≥18 mm) at concentration of 15 mg/mL of gentamicin sulphate. This functionalization approach provides simple and efficient method to enhance silicone implant surface properties and biological performance, and holds strong potential for improving the safety of medical-grade silicone breast implants.