Dual-functional acridine-based coatings with anti-bacterial adhesion and durable photocatalytic antibacterial

Abstract

Bacterial infections are a major public health challenge around the world. The development of novel surface coatings that effectively inhibit bacterial adhesion, proliferation and growth is a critical step in addressing this global challenge. Photocatalytic antibacterial therapy has proven to be an effective approach and has received increasing attention. However, it is still a challenge to obtain coatings with both antibacterial adhesion and durable photocatalytic antibacterial functions. Herein, an acridine-based coating with antibacterial adhesion and photocatalytic antibacterial properties was prepared by simple methods (i.e., spin-coating, spray-coating, and drop-coating) and can be applied to various substrates. The bacterial anti-adhesion test results showed that the coating could effectively prevents the adhesion of Escherichia coli (E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), indicating the strong anti-fouling capability. The acridine-based coating demonstrated durable photocatalytic antimicrobial activity, remaining 99.3 % antibacterial effective against all three bacterial strains even after 30 days exposed to visible light. The coating can significantly reduce or eliminate the risk of contamination and cross-contamination, making it ideal for use in public healthcare environments.