Reduction of cytotoxicity of natural rubber latex film by coating with PMMA-chitosan nanoparticles

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) latex stabilized by chitosan (CS) oligomer was synthesized via the miniemulsion polymerization. By using 1% CS solution (in 0.1 M acetic acid), the spherical PMMA-CS particles with an average size of 380 nm were obtained. The positive zeta potentials at pH 2–7 confirmed the presence of CS as the outermost layer of the latex particles. Therefore, these particles directly interacted with the indigenous non-rubbers at the surface of sulphur prevulcanized natural rubber (SPNR) film. The deposition of PMMA-CS particles caused an increase in surface roughness of the coated SPNR film as a function of latex concentration and immersion time. The simple coating of the rubber substrate with PMMA-CS particles effectively reduced the in vitro cytotoxicity on L-929 cells. This study would be, therefore, helpful for development of latex gloves designed for hypersensitive users.