Open Access Conference Proceedings

Excellent workability of polymers brings them a considerable potential to be used as matrices for metal nanostructures broadly applicable in medicine. For instance, biologically active metal/polymer composites could be effectively prepared by biocompatible polymer coating by thin metal nanolayers. Together with the fact that biological properties of such prepared composites could be improved with increasing metal surface area, we nowadays have a great opportunities for the preparation strongly effective materials. In this study, we prepared Ag and Pd nanolayers (NLs) on the surface of polyethylene naphthalate by means of cathode sputtering. Such NLs were transformed into the form of nanoislands (NIs) by low temperature post-deposition annealing. Subsequently, biological properties of commonly used NLs were compared to novel ones (NIs) with considerably higher specific surface area. Surprisingly, increase of both surface roughness and specific surface area caused by NIs formation did not support improved biological response.

Keywords: Silver, palladium, nanostructures, sputtering, annealing, biological properties

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