Generation of antifouling layers on stainless steel surfaces by plasma‐enhanced crosslinking of polyethylene glycol

Abstract

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) structures were deposited onto stainless steel (SS) surfaces by spin coating and argon radio frequency (RF)-plasma mediated crosslinking. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) indicated the presence of -CH 2 -CH 2 -O-structure and C-C-C linkage, as a result of the plasma crosslinking, on PEG-modified SS surfaces. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) indicated complete deposition, and water contact angle analysis revealed higher hydrophilicity on PEG-modified surfaces compared to unmodified SS surfaces. Surface morphology and roughness analysis by atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed smoother SS surfaces after PEG modification. The evaluation of antifouling ability of the PEG-modified SS surfaces was carried out. Compared to the unmodified SS, PEG-modified surfaces showed about 81-96% decrease in Listeria monocytogenes attachment and biofilm formation (p Ͻ 0.05). This cold plasma mediated PEG crosslinking provided a promising technique to reduce bacterial contamination on surfaces encountered in food-processing environments.

Enzymatic Modification of Polyethersulfone Membranes

“…The results show approximately 60% reduction in the number of attached Listeria cells from both strains relative to the numbers that can adhere and grow on the unmodified surface; this can most probably be attributed to the brush-like structure of the modification layer. Possibly the effect is similar to what has been demonstrated in other studies [11][12][13], where the brush-like structure of the modifying layer on different surfaces, such as stainless steel, glass, polyamide and polyester, also reduced bacterial adhesion. The effectiveness of these structures against bacterial attachment is caused by steric hindrance that keeps the bacterial cells at a distance from the surface, which results in weakening of the (e.g., van der Waals) interactions [13].…”

Effects of a modified cold atmospheric plasma jet treatment on resin-dentin bonding

“…Plasma, as a "clean" physical method, is known to induce crosslinking of polymers, and has wide industrial and food industry uses [9][10][11] . However, its use in medical fields is limited, as conventional plasma cannot be discharged in an open environment and the plasma jet usually has very high temperature.…”

Biofilm formation and the food industry, a focus on the bacterial outer surface

“…The modified surface properties were obtained by plasma‐enhanced cross‐linking of polyethylene glycol on stainless steel. This promising technique reduced bacterial deposition in food‐processing environments (Dong et al. 2005), with PEG‐deposition stable to cleaning and storage for up to 2 months (Wang et al.…”