Abstract
Contact-active antibacterial surfaces play a vital role in preventing bacterial contamination of artificial surfaces. In the past, numerous researches have been focused on antibacterial surfaces comprising of antifouling upper-layer and antibacterial sub-layer. In this work, we demonstrate a reversed surface structure which integrate antibacterial upper-layer and antifouling sub-layer. These surfaces are prepared by simply casting gemini quaternary ammonium salt waterborne polyurethanes (GWPU) and their blends. Due to the high interfacial energy of gemini quaternary ammonium salt (GQAS), chain segments containing GQAS can accumulate at polymer/air interface to form an antibacterial upper-layer spontaneously during the film formation. Meanwhile, the soft segments composed of polyethylene glycol (PEG) formed the antifouling sub-layer. Our findings indicate that the combination of antibacterial upper-layer and antifouling sub-layer endow these surfaces strong, long-lasting antifouling and contact-active antibacterial properties, with a more than 99.99% killing efficiency against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria attached to them.
Highlights
Contact-active antibacterial surfaces play a vital role in preventing bacterial contamination of artificial surfaces
Taking full advantage of high interfacial energy of gemini quaternary ammonium salt (GQAS), a series of special gemini quaternary ammonium salt waterborne polyurethanes (GWPU) films containing antibacterial brushes over an antifouling layer are prepared by casting GWPU emulsions on the bottoms of siliconized culture dishes, followed by air-drying at room temperature
The water contact angles (WCAs) of GWPUs are in the range of 59–64° at the beginning of contact, and rapidly decrease with contact time, falling to around 9–15° after 20 s (Fig. 2a, Supplementary Fig. S1)
Summary
Contact-active antibacterial surfaces play a vital role in preventing bacterial contamination of artificial surfaces. We demonstrate a reversed surface structure which integrate antibacterial upper-layer and antifouling sub-layer These surfaces are prepared by casting gemini quaternary ammonium salt waterborne polyurethanes (GWPU) and their blends. New antibacterial WPUs have been prepared using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polytetramethylene glycol (PTMG), polyethylene glycol (PEG), a lysine-derivate of GQAS (N,N,N’, N’-tetramethyl-N,N’-bisdodecyl-2,6-bis(ammonium bromide)–L–lysine-(1′,3′- propylene diamide )–L-lysine, named EG12) and L-lysine via a simple polymerization process[24] The chain extender EG12 applied in these WPUs possess much stronger surface activity and permanent excellent antibacterial activity than the normal single-chain quaternary ammonium salts[25,26,27,28] Such antibacterial surfactant can accumulate at polymer/air interface to form antibacterial brushes because of the high interfacial energy[29,30]. The antifouling sub-layer consisted of PEG and carboxyl anions of L-lysine could remove proteins and the residue from dead bacteria cells
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