Abstract
Bacteria infections and related biofilms growth on surfaces of medical devices are a serious threat to human health. Controlled hyperthermia caused by photothermal effects can be used to kill bacteria and counteract biofilms formation. Embedding of plasmonic nano-objects like gold nanostars (GNS), able to give an intense photothermal effect when irradiated in the NIR, can be a smart way to functionalize a transparent and biocompatible material like polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). This process enables bacteria destruction on surfaces of PDMS-made medical surfaces, an action which, in principle, can also be exploited in subcutaneous devices. We prepared stable and reproducible thin PDMS films containing controllable quantities of GNS, enabling a temperature increase that can reach more than 40 degrees. The hyperthermia exerted by this hybrid material generates an effective thermal microbicidal effect, killing bacteria with a near infrared (NIR) laser source with irradiance values that are safe for skin.
Highlights
Introduction and Fujian XuThe development on surfaces of organized aggregates of microorganisms living within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances, commonly referred as “biofilms,” has become a critical problem in many medical fields, as they represent a serious threat to the health of already fragile individuals [1]
A recent, significant approach is the development of light-switchable materials to obtain surfaces in which hyperthermia can be produced by a remote light input by means of photothermal effects and exploited to kill planktonic bacteria or eradicate already formed biofilms
We optimized an easy method to synthesize thin films of a PDMS-gold nanostars (GNS) hybrid having localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) absorption centered in the “biological window” that can be used for near infrared (NIR) irradiation to obtain hyperthermia, which can be modulated by changing the GNS concentration and laser power
Summary
Introduction and Fujian XuThe development on surfaces of organized aggregates of microorganisms living within a self-produced matrix of extracellular polymeric substances, commonly referred as “biofilms,” has become a critical problem in many medical fields, as they represent a serious threat to the health of already fragile individuals [1]. The formation of the protective matrix enhances the resistance of the enclosed bacteria, making them much more resistant to conventional antibacterial and antimicrobial treatments [2] This produced considerable interest from the scientific community in the development and production of biocompatible surfaces for medical use (prosthetic devices, catheters) suited for the prevention of the formation of biofilms or their eradication once biofilms have grown [3]. A material such as polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is interesting for this approach because of its low cost, ease of fabrication, inertness against living tissue, and biocompatibility These properties can be combined with antimicrobial ones to develop materials that can prevent the growth of bacteria and biofilm formation [9,10]; for example, Received: 11 November 2021
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