Antibiofouling Properties of Plasma-Deposited Oxazoline-Based Thin Films

Abstract

Infections caused by the bacterial colonization of medical devices are a substantial problem to patients and healthcare. Biopassive polyoxazoline coatings are attracting attention in the biomedical field as one of the potential solutions to this problem. Here, we present an original and swift way to produce plasma-deposited oxazoline-based films for antifouling applications. The films developed via the plasma deposition of 2-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline have tunable thickness and surface properties. Diverse film chemistries were achieved by tuning and optimizing the deposition conditions. Human-derived fibroblasts were used to confirm the biocompatibility of oxazoline derived coatings. The capacity of the coatings to resist biofilm attachment was studied as a function of deposition power and mode (i.e., continuous wave or pulsed) and precursor flow rates for both 2-methyl-2-oxazoline and 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline. After careful tuning of the deposition parameters films having the capacity to resist biofilm formation by more than 90% were achieved. The substrate-independent and customizable properties of the new generation of plasma deposited oxazoline thin films developed in this work make them attractive candidates for the coating of medical devices and other applications where bacteria surface colonization and biofilm formation is an issue.

Deposition of 2‐oxazoline‐based plasma polymer coatings using atmospheric pressure helium plasma jet

“…There are parameters in each technique that can influence the final quality of the deposited plasma coating. The plasma coatings presented in this study, which are obtained by atmospheric pressure plasma jet tend to be more oxidised compared with those obtained by vacuum plasmas . This can be explained by the fact that the plasma jet was running with helium in an open air environment, which results in a higher oxidation of the precursor during the plasma polymerisation process.…”

“…The plasma coatings presented in this study, which are obtained by atmospheric pressure plasma jet tend to be more oxidised compared with those obtained by vacuum plasmas. [31,33,35] This can be explained by the fact that the plasma jet was running with helium in an open air environment, which results in a higher oxidation of the precursor during the plasma polymerisation process. When comparing functional group retention (e.g., amide functional groups in this example), better retention of amide functional groups is obtained under atmospheric pressure than in vacuum plasma, which suggests milder plasma conditions at atmospheric pressure.…”

“…This makes the process cost‐effective, commercially attractive and environmentally friendly. Recently, our team pioneered low‐pressure RF plasma for the deposition of oxazoline‐based coatings for biomedical applications utilising 2‐methyl‐2‐oxazoline (OX) and 2‐ethyl‐2‐oxazoline as precursors . By tuning extrinsic plasma parameters such as applied RF power, plasma mode, duty cycle, and oxazoline monomer flow rate it was possible to achieve plasma coatings with excellent stability, biocompatibility and low biofouling properties.…”

“…Recently, our team pioneered low-pressure RF plasma for the deposition of oxazoline-based coatings for biomedical applications utilising 2-methyl-2-oxazoline (OX) and 2-ethyl-2-oxazoline as precursors. [29][30][31][32][33][34] By tuning extrinsic plasma parameters such as applied RF power, plasma mode, duty cycle, and oxazoline monomer flow rate it was possible to achieve plasma coatings with excellent stability, biocompatibility and low biofouling properties. In addition, it was found that those coatings are capable of reacting with carboxylic acid functionalised biomolecules.…”

Aqueous medium-induced micropore formation in plasma polymerized polystyrene: an effective route to inhibit bacteria adhesion

“…[1][2][3][4] In recent years, plasma polymerization of various organic compounds has become particularly attractive for the deposition of thin coatings on complex substrates under dry conditions. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10] Plasma polymerization is a facile and versatile technique that has the advantage to change the surface chemical functionality without affecting the bulk properties of the material.…”