Engineering Polymer-Based Barrier Films for Infection Control in Surgical Environments

Notice

This is an unedited manuscript accepted for publication and provided as an Article in Press for early access at the author’s request. The article will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and galley proof review before final publication. Please be aware that errors may be identified during production that could affect the content. All legal disclaimers of the journal apply.

Year : 2026 | Volume : 14 | 04 | Page :
By

Amar Mohite,

Rahul Atul Goswami,

Hemchandra V. Nerlekar,

  1. Assistant Professor, Department of Science and Technology, Krishna Institute of Science and Technology, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth “Deemed to be University”, Taluka-Karad, Satara, Maharashtra, India
  2. Assistant Professor, Department of Medical Sciences, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth “Deemed to be University”, Taluka-Karad, Satara, Maharashtra, India
  3. Associate Professor, Department of Surgery, Krishna Institute of Medical Sciences, Krishna Vishwa Vidyapeeth “Deemed to be University”, Taluka-Karad, Satara, Maharashtra, India

Abstract

It is important to keep a sterile surgical area as a measure of infection prevention after an operation. Traditional protective materials tend to not be long-lasting, are not uniformly protective in their behavior, and have just limited biocompatibility. The use of barrier films made of polymer has emerged as a ground breaking solution to the contemporary operating rooms. These movies prevent the entry of microbes, are impervious to moisture, and endure mechanical forces during surgical operations and are easy to manipulate by surgeons. Innovation in polymer chemistry, nanocomposite production, surface functionalization, and scalable production have created highly efficient customizable films with good antimicrobial, antifouling, and fluid-impermeable properties. Innovative smart product systems are able to react to environmental stimuli, laminate films formulated through multilayers offer structural integrity as well as selective permeability and bio-based possibilities cause less harm to the environment without compromising on protection. They have now been used in surgical drapes, instrument covers, wound barriers, and personal protection equipment and have proved to increase sterility assurance and the protection of clinicians. New digital manufacturing and flexible fabrication technologies enable the control of the thickness of the film, microstructure, and surface energy to meet the requirements of individual surgeries. Several challenges have still to be faced, though, including regulatory compliance, waste management, long-term biocompatibility and cost optimization. Further interdisciplinary studies need to be conducted to enhance polymer preparations, appraise clinical efficacy, and develop strong criteria of film-based infection control preparations. Engineered polymer barrier films, also known as the combination of material science and surgical practice, are a potential future avenue toward the health care of safer, more reliable, and recognized infection control.

Keywords: Essential words: polymer barrier films, infection control, surgery, antimicrobial polymers, nanocomposites, sterile drapes, polymer engineering, biomedical materials, smart films, surgical site infections prevention.

How to cite this article: Amar Mohite, Rahul Atul Goswami, Hemchandra V. Nerlekar. Engineering Polymer-Based Barrier Films for Infection Control in Surgical Environments. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(04):-.
How to cite this URL: Amar Mohite, Rahul Atul Goswami, Hemchandra V. Nerlekar. Engineering Polymer-Based Barrier Films for Infection Control in Surgical Environments. Journal of Polymer & Composites. 2026; 14(04):-. Available from: https://journals.stmjournals.com/jopc/article=2026/view=253527

References

  1. Fan J, Abedi-Dorcheh K, Sadat Vaziri A, Kazemi-Aghdam F, Rafiya S, Sohrabinejad M, et al. A review of recent advances in natural polymer-based scaffolds for musculoskeletal tissue engineering. Polymers (Basel). 2022;14(10):2097.
  2. Naseem M, Islam MU, Kareem A, Sultan M, Khan I, Ahmad S, et al. Chitosan as a nanocomposite matrix: advances in nanostructure fabrication, functional properties, and multidisciplinary applications. J Mater Sci. 2025;60(25):10225-54.
  3. Jamwal V, Mittal A. Recent progresses in nanocomposite films for food-packaging applications: synthesis strategies, technological advancements, potential risks and challenges. Food Rev Int. 2024;40(10):3634-65.
  4. Atik R, Islam R, Ariza Gonzalez M, Chinwangso P, Lee TR. Recent advances in polymer-coated metal and metal oxide nanoparticles: from design to promising applications. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2025;15(22):1744.
  5. Butler J, Handy RD, Upton M, Besinis A. Review of antimicrobial nanocoatings in medicine and dentistry: mechanisms of action, biocompatibility performance, safety, and benefits compared to antibiotics. ACS Nano. 2023;17(8):7064-92.
  6. Dehghani S, Rezaei K, Hamishehkar H, Oromiehie A. Investigating the physical, barrier, biodegradable and antimicrobial characteristics of composite and bilayer films containing chitosan electrospun nanofibers. Int J Biol Macromol. 2025:148145.
  7. Adetunji AI, Erasmus M. Green synthesis of bioplastics from microalgae: a state-of-the-art review. Polymers (Basel). 2024;16(10):1322.
  8. Han J, Poma A. Molecular targets for antibody-based anti-biofilm therapy in infective endocarditis. Polymers (Basel). 2022;14(15):3198.
  9. Bayer IS. Biopolymers in multilayer films for long-lasting protective food packaging: a review. In: Sustainable Food Packaging Technology. 2021. p. 395-426.
  10. Kera NH, Pillai SK, Ray SS. Inorganic ultraviolet filters in sunscreen products. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland; 2024. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-64114-5.
  11. Herczeg CK, Song J. Sterilization of polymeric implants: challenges and opportunities. ACS Appl Bio Mater. 2022;5(11):5077-88.
  12. Stürzel M, Mihan S, Mülhaupt R. From multisite polymerization catalysis to sustainable materials and all-polyolefin composites. Chem Rev. 2016;116(3):1398-433.
  13. Tolbert JW. Investigating and controlling the mechanical properties of solvent-cast constructs for tunable biomaterial scaffolds [dissertation]. Bethlehem (PA): Lehigh University.
  14. Giri BR, Jakka D, Sandoval MA, Kulkarni VR, Bao Q. Advancements in ocular therapy: a review of emerging drug delivery approaches and pharmaceutical technologies. Pharmaceutics. 2024;16(10):1325.
  15. Zhang S, Fang H, Tian H. Recent advances in degradable biomedical polymers for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Biomacromolecules. 2024;25(11):7015-57.
  16. Frýdlová B, Fajstavr D, Kasálková NS, Rimpelová S, Pavlíčková VS, Švorčík V, et al. Replicated biopolymer pattern on PLLA-Ag basis with an excellent antibacterial response. Heliyon. 2023;9(11). doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e21566.
  17. Vasluianu RI, Bobu L, Lupu IC, Antohe M, Bulancea BP, Moldovanu A, et al. Innovative smart materials in restorative dentistry. J Funct Biomater. 2025;16(9):318.
  18. Guo S, Chen J, Zhang Y, Liu J. Graphene-based films: fabrication, interfacial modification, and applications. Nanomaterials (Basel). 2021;11(10):2539.
  19. Fu J, Liao X, Ji Y, Mo Y, Zhang J. Research progress on preparation of superhydrophobic surface and its application in the field of marine engineering. J Mar Sci Eng. 2024;12(10):1741.
  20. Zhou Z, Wang Y, Liu N, Zhang X, Ning X, Miao Y, et al. Multifunctional nanofiber-based dressings in coordination with adipose-derived stem cells for accelerated burn wound healing. Mater Des. 2025;253:113929.
  21. Alzahrani AS, Alamry KA, Hussein MA. Advanced biopolymer nanocomposites for real-time biosurveillance and defense against antimicrobial resistance and viral threats. RSC Adv. 2025;15(39):32431-63.
  22. Nicolae-Maranciuc A, Chicea D. Polymeric systems as hydrogels and membranes containing silver nanoparticles for biomedical and food applications: recent approaches and perspectives. Gels. 2025;11(9):699.
  23. Joseph B, Jose C, Kavil SV, Kalarikkal N, Thomas S. Solvent-casting approach for design of polymer scaffolds and their multifunctional applications. In: Functional Biomaterials: Design and Development for Biotechnology, Pharmacology, and Biomedicine. 2023. p. 371-94.
  24. Wang Y, Lu S, Zheng J, Liang L. Advances in latest application status, challenges, and future development direction of electrospinning technology in the biomedical. J Nanomater. 2022;2022:3791908.
  25. Lorenzett E, da Campo YA, Neto MA, Burgo TA. Direct observation of electrostatic charging in 3D printing. Nat Commun. 2025;16(1):7727.
  26. Ghosh S, Dave V, Sharma P, Wal P. Advancement of nanomedical biotextiles for infection control and protection materials. In: Nanotechnology Based Advanced Medical Textiles and Biotextiles for Healthcare. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press; 2024. p. 123-47.
  27. Ashter SA. Applications of polymers and plastics in medical devices: design, manufacture, and performance. Oxford: William Andrew; 2022.
  28. Kang SI, Oh HK, Kim MH, Kim MJ, Kim DW, Kim HJ, et al. Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of the clinical effectiveness of impervious plastic wound protectors in reducing surgical site infections in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Surgery. 2018;164(5):939-45.
  29. Darie-Niță RN, Râpă M, Frąckowiak S. Special features of polyester-based materials for medical applications. Polymers (Basel). 2022;14(5):951.
  30. Yue X, Zhong Z, Wang C, Zhao Z, Zhang X, Wang G, et al. Antimicrobial peptide dendrimers assisted nanocomposite-loaded lyotropic liquid crystalline for multimodal surgical site infection management. Chem Eng J. 2024;479:147812.
  31. Santos JF, del Rocío Silva-Calpa L, de Souza FG, Pal K. Central countries’ and Brazil’s contributions to nanotechnology. Curr Nanomater. 2024;9(2):109-47.
  32. Saravanan H, Subramani T, Rajaramon S, David H, Sajeevan A, Sujith S, et al. Exploring nanocomposites for controlling infectious microorganisms: charting the path forward in antimicrobial strategies. Front Pharmacol. 2023;14:1282073.
  33. Zhang J, Jiang X, Wen X, Xu Q, Zeng H, Zhao Y, et al. Bio-responsive smart polymers and biomedical applications. J Phys Mater. 2019;2(3):032004.
  34. Gautam S, Yi DK, editors. Advanced synthesis and medical applications of calcium phosphates. J Biomed Mater Res A. 2022;110(3):708-24.

 

Ahead of Print Subscription Review Article
Volume 14
04
Received 13/07/2026
Accepted 18/08/2026
Published 27/08/2026
Publication Time 45 Days

Login

My IP

PlumX Metrics