Preparation of an Antibacterial Composite Aerogel for Biomedical Purposes Based on an Alginate–Chitosan Complex and Calcium Carbonate

Abstract

Aerogel composites were synthesized on the basis of the sodium alginate-chitosan interpolymer complex with the inclusion of calcium carbonate microparticles and supercritical drying. It is shown that the textural characteristics of materials did not depend on the morphology of calcium carbonate particles: the specific surface area of aerogels was almost the same for all materials, 380–400 m²/g. The developed porous structure of composites along with the polyelectrolyte nature determined their high water absorption (up to 110 g/g). To impart antimicrobial properties, the materials were impregnated with atranorin isolated from the lichen Hypogymnia physodes, which has a pronounced inhibitory effect on the bacterium P. mirabilis, the main causative agent of wound infections. The minimum suppressive concentration of atranorine was 1 mg/mL. The release of the main amount of atranorine aerosol material included in the matrix occurred within 4 hours, 50%.