Antibacterial Functionalization of PVD Coatings on Ceramics

Abstract

Abstract:The application of surface treatments that incorporate silver or copper as antibacterial elements has become a common practice for a wide variety of medical devices and materials because of their effective activity against nosocomial infections. Ceramic tiles are choice materials for cladding the floors and walls of operation rooms and other hospital spaces. This study is focused on the deposition of biocide physical vapor deposition (PVD) coatings on glazed ceramic tiles. The objective was to provide antibacterial activity to the surfaces without worsening their mechanical properties. Silver and copper-doped chromium nitride (CrN) and titanium nitride (TiN) coatings were deposited on samples of tiles. A complete characterization was carried out in order to determine the composition and structure of the coatings, as well as their topographical and mechanical properties. The distribution of Ag and Cu within the coating was analyzed using glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GD-OES) and field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM). Roughness, microhardness, and scratch resistance were measured for all of the combinations of coatings and dopants, as well as their wettability. Finally, tests of antibacterial efficacy against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli were carried out, showing that all of the doped coatings had pronounced biocide activity.

Antimicrobial Surfaces for Applications on Confined Inhabited Space Stations

“…[ 49 ] Antibacterial agents can either be trapped between layers or constitute an integral part of the coating, by substituting one of the charged species. Hydrogels, [ 50 ] ceramics, [ 51 ] and plasma‐deposited polymers [ 52 ] have also been widely reported as suitable carrier coatings for the delivery of antibacterial compounds.…”

Cu oxidation mechanism on Cu-Zr(O)N coatings: Role on functional properties

“…Surface treatments or decorative coatings are currently relevant in a wide range of markets such as in the automotive industry (for interior and exterior parts), markets for consumer goods (mobile phones, computers, cameras, jewellery and watchmaking), for home products (bathroom equipment, handles and cutlery) and for glasses [1][2][3]. In all these applications, the surfaces are intended to be moderately hard, scratch resistant and to have a wide range of colours.…”

“…Chang et al [2] incorporated Ag in a ZrON matrix through a reactive magnetron sputtering technique, which achieved an antibacterial coating with ~12 at.% Ag that was effective against Staphylococcus aureus and Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans, commonly found in implantassociated infections. Osés et al [3] performed Ag and Cu doped chromium nitride (CrN) and TiN films over ceramic tiles and all films presented around 20 at.% of dopant agent on its surface, adding an antibacterial effect against S. aureus and Escherichia coli as well as noteworthy mechanical properties. Kelly et al [18] compared tribological and antibacterial properties of CrN/Ag, ZrN/Ag, TiN/Ag and TiN/Cu nanocomposite coatings obtained by a dual pulsed magnetron sputtering equipment.…”

Synthesis of Antimicrobial Films Based on Low-Density Polyethylene (LDPE) and Zeolite A Containing Silver

“…Metals have been widely applied in public health as antimicrobial agents [1], even before the clinical introduction of antibiotics in the 1940s [2]. Silver has been used for decades to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms in a range of areas [3].…”

“…The antimicrobial activity of Ag-zeolites on different microorganisms has been previously studied, mainly for application in the health and food fields [6,10,11]. Silver can also be incorporated into other materials, such as clays [12,13], ceramics [2] or polymers [14], for specific bioactive applications.…”