Abstract
Inanimate surfaces serve as a permanent reservoir for infectious microorganisms, which is a growing problem in areas in everyday life. Coating of surfaces with inorganic antimicrobials, such as copper, can contribute to reduce the adherence and growth of microorganisms. The use of a DC operated air plasma jet for the deposition of copper thin films on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) substrates is reported. ABS is a widespread material used in consumer applications, including hospitals. The influence of gas flow rate and input current on thin film characteristics and its bactericidal effect have been studied. Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy confirmed the presence of thin copper layers on plasma-exposed ABS and the formation of copper particles with a size in the range from 20 to 100 nm, respectively. The bactericidal properties of the copper-coated surfaces were tested against Staphylococcus aureus. A reduction in growth by 93% compared with the attachment of bacteria on untreated samples was observed for coverage of the surface with 7 at. % copper.
Highlights
The adherence of microorganisms on contact surfaces and its persistence for weeks or even months is a main cause of cross-contaminations and spread of infections in healthcare and food processing facilities [1,2,3,4]
The percentage reduction of colony forming units for for each set of samples was calculated to express the change of the microbial population relative to each set of samples was calculated to express the change of the microbial population relative to the the pristine acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS)
The objective of this work was to evaluate the bactericidal properties of polymer surfaces modified by copper deposits from a cold atmospheric pressure plasma
Summary
The adherence of microorganisms on contact surfaces and its persistence for weeks or even months is a main cause of cross-contaminations and spread of infections in healthcare and food processing facilities [1,2,3,4]. The problem is emphasized by increasing the presence of microorganisms that have become resistant to a number of different antibiotics. The infection of surgical wounds by Staphylococcus aureus is a common problem in hospitals and its ability to develop resistance to antibiotics contributes to the danger to patients [5]. Despite hand-washing campaigns and routine cleaning, infection rates remain high. This has raised the need to combat pathogenic microorganisms to lower the risk of acquiring infections. A promising and effective strategy to prevent spreading of microorganisms in hygiene-sensitive areas is the refinement of inanimate surfaces with antimicrobial properties. Among different strategies, are contact-mediated killing metals like copper (Cu) and silver gaining in interest as self-sanitizing material. A further advantage in antimicrobial metals is that small concentrations are already sufficient to significantly inhibit the metabolism of bacteria, and achieve high anti-microbial efficacies
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