Antibiofouling Properties of Plasma-Deposited Oxazoline-Based Thin Films

Abstract

Infections caused by the bacterial colonization of medical devices are a substantial problem to patients and healthcare. Biopassive polyoxazoline coatings are attracting attention in the biomedical field as one of the potential solutions to this problem. Here, we present an original and swift way to produce plasma-deposited oxazoline-based films for antifouling applications. The films developed via the plasma deposition of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline have tunable thickness and surface properties. Diverse film chemistries were achieved by tuning and optimizing the deposition conditions. Human-derived fibroblasts were used to confirm the biocompatibility of oxazoline derived coatings. The capacity of the coatings to resist biofilm attachment was studied as a function of deposition power and mode (i.e., continuous wave or pulsed) and precursor flow rates for both 2-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline. After careful tuning of the deposition parameters films having the capacity to resist biofilm formation by more than 90% were achieved. The substrate-independent and customizable properties of the new generation of plasma deposited oxazoline thin films developed in this work make them attractive candidates for the coating of medical devices and other applications where bacteria surface colonization and biofilm formation is an issue.