Structural, surface, optical, and antimicrobial characterization of I2/Polymethyl methacrylate and CuS/I2/polymethyl methacrylate thin films

Abstract

In this study, I2/PMMA and CuS/I2/PMMA thin films were produced by Chemical Bath Deposition (CBD) on polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) substrates, and their physicochemical and antimicrobial properties were analyzed. The film's surface tensions were characterized by KSV instruments, and the surface tensions for plain PMMA, I2/PMMA, and CuS/I2/PMMA thin films were 30.27, 28.77, and 31.86 mN/m, respectively. The I2 and CuS/I2 structures in the XRD patterns are amorphous. After coating CuS, the long rod-like extension structures are formed; spherical shapes form some agglomeration in some regions to SEM images. Chemical analysis was performed with an EDX spectrometer attached to SEM. The thicknesses and surface roughnesses of I2/PMMA and CuS/I2/PMMA thin films were determined to be 50.34 nm, 1126 nm; 62.03 nm and 204.99 nm via AFM, respectively. The optical spectra of the films were recorded in the range of 300–1100 nm with a UV-VIS spectrophotometer. The antibacterial and antifungal properties of I2 and CuS coating were evaluated against facultative gram-negative E. Coli and C. Albicans. The coated films exhibited excellent antimicrobial performance.