RF Sputtered Boron Carbon Nitride (BCN) Thin Films for Biological Applications

Abstract

Boron carbon nitride (BCN) films have achieved attention owing to their crystal structure and unique properties. BCN compounds are expected to combine excellent properties of diamond, B4C and BN with their properties adjustable depending on their composition and structure[1]. B-C-N ternary compounds has been reported previously for biological applications [2-5]. In this study, we investigate RF sputter deposited BCN films for biological applications. Bacterial contamination in biomedical field has several adverse effects. BCN coating may interfere with bacterial adhesion and reduce bacteria colonization. BCN films are deposited by reactive sputtering of B4C target in presence of nitrogen. Bacteria colonies are grown on BCN thin films and incubated for 24 hours. [1] A. Prakash, S. D. Nehate, and K. B. Sundaram, "Boron carbon nitride based metal-insulator-metal UV detectors for harsh environment applications," Optics letters, vol. 41, no. 18, pp. 4249-4252, 2016. [2] W. Yang, P. Thordarson, J. J. Gooding, S. P. Ringer, and F. Braet, "Carbon nanotubes for biological and biomedical applications," Nanotechnology, vol. 18, no. 41, p. 412001, 2007. [3] A. Bianco, K. Kostarelos, C. D. Partidos, and M. Prato, "Biomedical applications of functionalised carbon nanotubes," Chemical Communications, no. 5, pp. 571-577, 2005. [4] S. H. Mir, V. K. Yadav, and J. K. Singh, "Boron–Carbon–Nitride Sheet as a Novel Surface for Biological Applications: Insights from Density Functional Theory," ACS Omega, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 3732-3738, 2019. [5] G. Ciofani, S. Danti, G. G. Genchi, B. Mazzolai, and V. Mattoli, "Boron nitride nanotubes: biocompatibility and potential spill‐over in nanomedicine," Small, vol. 9, no. 9‐10, pp. 1672-1685, 2013.