Abstract
Infections caused by bacteria are one of the main causes of mortality in hospitals all over the world. Bacteria can grow on many different surfaces and when this occurs, and bacteria colonize a surface, biofilms are formed. In this context, one of the main concerns is biofilm formation on medical devices such as urinary catheters, cardiac valves, pacemakers or prothesis. The development of bacteria also occurs on materials used for food packaging, wearable electronics or the textile industry. In all these applications polymeric materials are usually present. Research and development of polymer-based antibacterial materials is crucial to avoid the proliferation of bacteria. In this paper, we present a review about polymeric materials with antibacterial materials. The main strategies to produce materials with antibacterial properties are presented, for instance, the incorporation of inorganic particles, micro or nanostructuration of the surfaces and antifouling strategies are considered. The antibacterial mechanism exerted in each case is discussed. Methods of materials preparation are examined, presenting the main advantages or disadvantages of each one based on their potential uses. Finally, a review of the main characterization techniques and methods used to study polymer based antibacterial materials is carried out, including the use of single force cell spectroscopy, contact angle measurements and surface roughness to evaluate the role of the physicochemical properties and the micro or nanostructure in antibacterial behavior of the materials.
Highlights
We present a review about polymeric materials with antibacterial materials
A good correlation in piezoelectric response was obtained for PVDF with low loadings of AgNPs (0.4%), showing their potential for the design of self-powering devices used as nano-generators with antibacterial properties
The results showed that the quantum dots (QDs)-crystal violet (CV) complexes had a good response against antibacterial activity in Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus Aureous (MRSA) and E
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. One alternative to try to minimize the impact of this problem, is prevention, i.e., avoiding the proliferation of bacteria on different substrate surfaces by hindering their growth and development or preventing their adhesion. In this sense, research and development of novel antibacterial materials is becoming an excellent approach [3,4]. We will focus on strategies to avoid food spoilage Apart from these two clear examples, the use of polymeric materials with antibacterial properties is present in many other applications related to electric polymeric materials or the textile industry. An overview of the main characterization techniques is given, paying special attention to the study of the antibacterial action
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