Dual-function antibacterial surfaces to resist and kill bacteria: Painting a picture with two brushes simultaneously

Abstract

Attachment of bacteria and subsequent formation of biofilms on material surfaces lead to serious consequences including infection, contamination and biofouling, posing a prominent threat to human health and causing problems in many industries. Therefore, it is highly desirable to endow the surfaces with antibacterial properties. Traditional antibacterial surfaces are designed via either bacteria-resisting strategy to prevent the initial adhesion of bacteria or bacteria-killing strategy to eradicate any bacteria that attach to the surface. However, these single-function surfaces have their inherent shortcomings and cannot realize long-term efficacy against bacteria. In recent years, various dual-function antibacterial surfaces with both bacteria-resisting and bacteria-killing properties together have been developed, showing better performance for combating surface-attached bacteria and preventing formation of biofilms. In this review, we summarize the recent development of these dual-function antibacterial surfaces. We focus on the design principles and fabrication strategies of such surfaces and highlight the representative examples, which are categorized specifically into two types according to the anti-adhesive and bactericidal properties are simultaneous or switchable. A brief perspective is finally presented on current challenges and future research directions.