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Bacterial adhesion and colonization are complicated processes that depend on many factors, including surface chemistry, hydrophobicity, and surface roughness. The contribution of each of these factors has not been fully elucidated because most previous studies used different polymeric surfaces to achieve differences in properties. The objective of this study was to modify hydrophobicity and roughness on one polymeric surface, eliminating the confounding contribution of surface chemistry. Mechanically assembled monolayer (MAM) preparation methods (both one- and two-dimensional) were used to impart different degrees of hydrophobicity on fluoroalkylsilane (FAS)-coated silicone. Surface roughness was varied by casting the silicone to templates prepared with different abrasives. Surface hydrophobicity was determined by contact angle measurement, whereas surface roughness was determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Bacterial adhesion and colonization were analyzed using a direct colony-counting method and SEM images. Hydrophobicity increased as a function of stretched length or width (Deltax or Deltay); it reached a maximum at Deltax = 60% with one-dimensional MAM and decreased as Deltax further increased to 80 and 100%. The same trend was observed for the two-dimensional MAM. After 12-h incubation, all the FAS/silicone surfaces had significantly reduced adherence of Staphylococcus epidermidis by 42-89%, compared to untreated silicone, and the degree of which is inversely related to surface hydrophobicity. On the other hand, surface roughness had a significant effect on bacterial adhesion and colonization only when the root-mean-square roughness was higher than 200 nm.

Bacterial adhesion on biomaterial surfaces is the initial step in establishing infections and leads to the formation of biofilms. In this study, silicone was modified with different biopolymers and silanes, including: heparin, hyaluronan, and self-assembled octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS), and fluoroalkylsilane (FAS). The aim was to provide a stable and bacteria-resistant surface by varying the degree of hydrophobicity and the surface structure. The adhesion of Escherichia coli (JM 109) on different modified silicone surfaces was investigated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Mica, an ideal hydrophilic and smooth surface, was employed as a control specimen to study the effect of hydrophobicity and surfaces roughness on bacterial adhesion. AFM probes were coated with E. coli and the force measurements between the bacteria-immobilized tip and various materials surfaces were obtained while approaching to and retracting from the surfaces. A short-range repulsive force was observed between the FAS coated silicone and bacteria. The pull-off force of bacteria to FAS was the smallest among coated surfaces. On the other hand, heparin exhibited a long-range attractive force during approach and required a higher pull-off force in retraction. Both AFM and SEM results indicated that FAS reduced bacterial adhesion whereas heparin enhanced the adhesion compared to pure silicone. The work demonstrates that hydrophobicity cannot be used as a criterion to predict bacterial adhesion. Rather, both the native properties of the individual strain of bacteria and the specific functional structure of the surfaces determine the strength of force interaction, and thus the extent of adhesion.

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