Antibacterial surfaces by adsorptive binding of polyvinyl-sulphonate-stabilized silvernanoparticles

Abstract

This paper presents a novel and facile method for the generation of efficient antibacterialcoatings which can be applied to practically any type of substrate. Silver nanoparticleswere stabilized with an adsorbed surface layer of polyvinyl sulphonate (PVS). This stericlayer provided excellent colloidal stability, preventing aggregation over periods of months.PVS-coated silver nanoparticles were bound onto amine-containing surfaces, here producedby deposition of an allylamine plasma polymer thin film onto various substrates. SEMimaging showed no aggregation upon surface binding of the nanoparticles; they were welldispersed on amine surfaces. Such nanoparticle-coated surfaces were found to be effective inpreventing attachment of Staphylococcus epidermidis bacteria and also in preventingbiofilm formation. Combined with the ability of plasma polymerization to apply the thinpolymeric binding layer onto a wide range of materials, this method appearspromising for the fabrication of a wide range of infection-resistant biomedical devices.