Environmentally friendly one-step coating of antibacterial urinary catheters with silver nanoparticle impregnated layer

Abstract

Urinary tract infection is the most common infection acquired in hospitals and is usually associated with catheterization. A simple and robust antibacterial coating on rubber urethral catheter using a one-step process has been developed. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) were coated on the surface and impregnated near the subsurface region through diffusion transport into the porous tube material. This coating technique does not require any complicated instruments, volatile organic compounds, toxic chemicals as reducing agents and polymer binders. AgNPs embedded on the subsurface of catheters provides prolonged antibacterial effects with a slow release of silver ions at 0.44 mg/L after 14 days. Coated catheters were tested for their antibacterial activity against representative pathogenic bacteria. Inhibition zones of approximately 11 mm were observed. AgNPs coated catheters inhibited the adhesion of Staphylococcus aureus (99.99%) and Escherichia coli (99.9999%) after 4 h. This simple fabrication technique opens a new avenue for the development of an inexpensive and quick process for the fabrication of rubber surfaces with an eco-friendly and easy to scale-up strategy for preventing bacterial colonization.