Effects of chitosan and TiO2 nanoparticles on the antibacterial property and ability to self-healing of cracks and retrieve mechanical characteristics of dental composites

Reza Ravandi; Saeed Zeinali Heris; Salar Hemmati; Marziyeh Aghazadeh; Soodabeh Davaran; Nima Abdyazdani

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27734

Effects of chitosan and TiO₂ nanoparticles on the antibacterial property and ability to self-healing of cracks and retrieve mechanical characteristics of dental composites

Heliyon. 2024 Mar 13;10(6):e27734. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27734. eCollection 2024 Mar 30.

Authors

Reza Ravandi¹, Saeed Zeinali Heris¹, Salar Hemmati², Marziyeh Aghazadeh³, Soodabeh Davaran⁴, Nima Abdyazdani⁵

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
² Drug Applied Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, 65811, Tabriz, Iran.
³ Stem Cell Research Centre and Department of Oral Medicine, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.
⁴ Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Medical Science, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Golgasht St, Tabriz, Iran.
⁵ Stem Cell Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to improve the self-healing properties of dental nanocomposite using nanoparticles of TiO₂ and chitosan. We evaluated flexural and compressive strength, crack-healing, and self-healing lifespan after 3 months of water aging. The effect of the developed composite on cell viability and toxicity was assessed by an MTT assay on human alveolar basal epithelial cells (A549 cell line). The nanocomposite included 7.5 wt% polyurea-formaldehyde (PUF) and 0, 0.5, and 1 wt% n-TiO₂ and chitosan. After the fracture, the samples were put in a mold for 1-90 days to enable healing. Then, the fracture toughness of the healed nanocomposites and the healing yield were measured. The flexural strength of the nanocomposite improved by adding 0.5 wt% n-TiO₂, while the compressive strength increased after adding 0.5 wt% chitosan (p > 0.1). When these two materials were used simultaneously, the flexural strength was improved by around 2%; however, the compressive strength was unaffected. Compared to the other sample, the nanocomposite with 0.5 wt% n-TiO₂ and chitosan had higher K_IC-healing and self-healing efficiency. Self-healing efficacy had no significant effect of water aging over 90 days compared to one day (p > 0.1), demonstrating that the PUF nanocapsules were not damaged.

Keywords: Chitosan and TiO2 nanoparticles; Cytotoxicity; Dental composites; Self-healing.