Super-hydrophilic nano-structured surface with antibacterial properties

Abstract

Adhesion of bacteria to a surface followed by biofilm formation causes many problems in human health care and, in some cases, can even cause human death. Therefore, reducing bacterial attachment to surfaces and antibacterial surface fabrication are two of the most important issues in many applications, including healthcare, medical, food packaging, etc. Polycarbonate (PC) is one of the most widely used polymers in medicine. However, it does not have antibacterial properties. On the other hand, laser treatment is used as a standard method for surface modification of different materials. In this paper, excimer laser irradiation at a fluence below the ablation threshold was used for surface patterning and modification of the polycarbonate sample, aiming to improve its antibacterial properties. The results show that super-hydrophilic nanostructured polycarbonate surfaces have antibacterial properties compared to non-treated PC, which has no antibacterial properties.