SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has increased public awareness of the ability of hightouch surfaces to transmit infection. [3,4] Cleaning and disinfection to mitigate the bioburden on hard surfaces is costly and cannot feasibly be conducted with sufficient frequency to be fully effective. Selfdisinfecting surfaces made of or coated with copper (Cu) can minimize the spread of microorganisms and viruses on hightouch surfaces. [5,6] At present, Cu is the only solid antimicrobial material registered as a self-sanitizer by Health Canada [7] and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2021, it was confirmed that Cu is also antiviral, inactivating 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2 virus particles within two hours. [8] Repeated touch as well as cleaning/ disinfection of Cu-bearing surfaces triggers the release of Cu ions or molecular compounds containing Cu(I) or Cu(II) oxides through aqueous corrosion. [9] It is well known that the bactericidal and viricidal behavior of Cu-based surfaces is dependent on their ability to release free Cu ions. [10][11][12][13][14] Thus, ensuring the rapid and continuous release of Cu ions from the Cu surface is critical to quickly killing pathogens, as well as maintaining Cu's self-sanitizing properties long-term. [12] Cu 2+ and Cu + ions kill bacteria by participating in cyclic redox reactions at the cell surface [15] which denatures the cell membrane [16] and intracellular proteins, as well as altering the structure of DNA, [17] and enhancing the production of destructive reactive oxygen species (ROS). [18] Despite the proven efficacy of Cu as an antimicrobial agent, the bactericidal activity of Cu proceeds relatively slowly (e.g., 2 h for 98% reduction in Staphylococcus aureus). [11] Further, in healthcare settings, Cu appears to be less effective against Gram-positive bacteria than Gram-negative bacteria. [19,20] This difference is attributed to the variation in peptidoglycan wall thickness, [13,20] which is approximately an order of a magnitude thicker for Gram-positive bacteria compared to Gram-negative. [21] The Gram-positive bacterium, S. aureus, is responsible for skin and wound infections and is increasingly resistant to antibiotics. According to the World Health Organization, antibiotic resistance is a major threat to global health and food safety. [22] It leads to longer hospitalizations, higher medical costs, and higher mortality rates. Nosocomial Contaminated surfaces are a major source of nosocomial infection. To reduce microbial bioburden and surface-based transmission of infectious disease, the use of antibacterial and self-sanitizing surfaces, such as copper (Cu), is being explored in clinical settings. Cu has long been known to have antimicrobial activity. However, Gram-positive microorganisms, a class that includes pathogens commonly responsible for hospital-acquired infection such as Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridioides difficile, are more resilient to its biocidal effect. Inspired by inherently bactericidal nanostructured surfaces found in nature, an improved Cu coating is deve...
Contaminated surfaces are a major source of nosocomial infection. To reduce microbial bioburden and surface-based transmission of infectious disease, the use of antibacterial and self-sanitizing surfaces, such as copper (Cu), is being explored in clinical settings. Cu has long been known to have antimicrobial activity. However, Gram-positive microorganisms, a class that includes pathogens commonly responsible for hospital-acquired infection such as Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridioides difficile, are more resilient to its biocidal effect. Inspired by inherently bactericidal nanostructured surfaces found in nature, we have developed an improved Cu coating, engineered to contain nanoscale surface features and thus increase its antibacterial activity against a broader range of organisms. In addition, we have established a new method for facilitating the rapid and continuous release of biocidal metal ions from the coating, through incorporation of an antibacterial metal salt (ZnCl2) with a lower reduction potential than Cu. Electrophoretic deposition (EPD) was used to fabricate our coatings, which serves as a low-cost and scalable route for modifying existing conductive surfaces with complex shape. By tuning both the surface morphology and chemistry, we were able to create a nanocomposite Cu coating that decreased the microbial bioburden of Gram-positive S.aureus by 94% compared to unmodified Cu.
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