Abstract
Bacterial attachment and colonization to hygiene sensitive surfaces, both public and nosocomial, as well as in food industry areas, poses a serious problem to human healthcare. Several infection incidents are reported, while bacterial resistance to antibiotics is increasing. Recently, novel techniques for the design of antibacterial surfaces to limit bacterial spreading have emerged, including bifunctional antibacterial surfaces with antifouling and bactericidal action. In this context, we have recently developed smart, universal, metal-sputtered superhydrophobic surfaces, demonstrating both bacterial repulsion and killing efficacy. Herein, we present the optimization process that led to the realization of these “hybrid” antibacterial surfaces. To this end, two bactericidal agents, silver and copper, were tested for their efficiency against Gram-negative bacteria, with copper showing a stronger bactericidal action. In addition, between two low surface energy coatings, the fluorinated-alkyl self-assembled chlorosilane layer from perfluorinated octyltrichlorosilane (pFOTS) solution and the fluorocarbon layer from octafluorocyclobutane (C4F8) plasma were both approved for their anti-adhesive properties after immersion in bacterial solution. However, the latter was found to be more efficient when engrafted with the bactericidal agent in shielding its killing performance. Furthermore, the thickness of the plasma-deposited fluorocarbon layer was optimized, in order to simultaneously retain both the superhydrophobicity of the surface and its long-term bactericidal activity.
Highlights
Bacteria are renowned for their aptitude to colonize a diversity of materials, ranging from textiles, food packaging [1] public transportation, and aircraft interior surfaces, to medical implants, surgical equipment, and nosocomial surfaces
In our previous work [34] we presented a simple method for the fabrication of universal, metal-sputtered superhydrophobic “hybrid” antibacterial surfaces exhibiting both anti-adhesive and bactericidal long-term activity against Gram-negative bacteria of concentrations as high as 2 × 109 cfu/mL, one of the highest ever reported in the literature
Plasma-induced micro-nanotexturing of the Poly(Methyl Methacrylate) (PMMA) surfaces, i.e., plasma etching with parallel creation of roughness at the nano to micron scale [41,42] was performed in a high-density radio frequency (RF) source helicon plasma reactor (Micromachining Etching Tool, MET, from Adixen-Alcatel, Anaheim, CA, USA)
Summary
Bacteria are renowned for their aptitude to colonize a diversity of materials, ranging from textiles, food packaging [1] public transportation, and aircraft interior surfaces, to medical implants, surgical equipment, and nosocomial surfaces. Bacterial infections are the second major cause of human mortality, being accountable for 17 million deaths annually [2], holding a global percentage of 64%. Hospital acquired infections [3,4] Their spreading is fostered by the emergence of antibiotic resistance, with the development of multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria, as a result of the excessive use of antibiotics. We live in the era that bacteria develop resistance to antibiotics, but they genetically acquire it from other strains, becoming so called “superbugs” [5]. While conventional antibiotics gradually lose their efficacy, there is a dire need for the emergence of alternative methods to tailor material surfaces, rendering them antibacterial so as to halt bacterial colonization and limit the spread of infections
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