Development of novel self-healing and antibacterial resin composite containing microcapsules filled with polymerizable healing monomer / 中华口腔医学杂志

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To develop novel self- healing and antibacterial resin composite containing microcapsules filled with polymerizable healing monomer, and to measure its properties for further clinical application.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Microcapsules filled with healing monomer of triethylene glycol dimethacrylate were synthesized according to methods introduced in the previous research. Microcapsules were added into novel resin composite containing nano-antibacterial silica fillers grafted with long chain alkyl quaternary ammonium at mass fractions of 0, 2.5%, 5.0%, 7.5% or 10.0%. A commercial resin composite (Tetric N-Ceram) was used as control. Flexural test was used to measure resin composite flexural strength and elastic modulus. The single edge V-notched beam method was used to measure fracture toughness and self-healing efficiency. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to examine the fractured surface of selected specimen for investigation of fracture mechanisms.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The flexural strength and elastic modulus of the resin composite were (96.4 ± 14.3) MPa and (6.2 ± 1.1) GPa respectively after incorporation of microcapsules up to 7.5%, and no significant difference was found between the experimental group and the control group [(99.1 ± 11.9) MPa and (6.1 ± 1.1) GPa] (P>0.05). The self-healing efficiency of (66.8 ± 7.0)% and (79.3 ± 9.7)% were achieved for resin composite with microcapsule mass fractions at 7.5% and 10.0%. SEM image showed that irregular films covered the fractured surface. Conclusions This novel self-healing and antibacterial resin composite containing microcapsules filled with polymerizable healing monomer exhibited a promising self- healing ability, which enabled itself well up for combating bulk fracture and secondary caries in clinical application.</p>