Recent Advances in Dual‐Function Superhydrophobic Antibacterial Surfaces

Abstract

Bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation on the surfaces of synthetic materials imposes a significant burden in various fields, which can lead to infections in patients or reduce the service life of industrial devices. Therefore, there is increasing interest in imbuing surfaces with antibacterial properties. Bioinspired superhydrophobic surfaces with high water contact angles (>150°) exhibit excellent surface repellency against contaminations, thereby preventing initial bacterial adhesion and inhibiting biofilm formation. However, conventional superhydrophobic surfaces typically lack long‐term durability and are incapable of achieving persistent efficacy against bacterial adhesion. To overcome these limitations, in recent decades, dual‐function superhydrophobic antibacterial surfaces with both bacteria‐repelling and bacteria‐killing properties have been developed by introducing bactericidal components. These surfaces have demonstrated improved long‐term antibacterial performance in addressing the issues associated with surface‐attached bacteria. This review summarizes the recent advancements of these dual‐function superhydrophobic antibacterial surfaces. First, a brief overview of the fabrication strategies and bacteria‐repelling mechanism of superhydrophobic surfaces is provided and then the dual‐function superhydrophobic antibacterial surfaces are classified into three types based on the bacteria‐killing mechanism: i) mechanotherapy, ii) chemotherapy, and iii) phototherapy. Finally, the limitations and challenges of current research are discussed and future perspectives in this promising area are proposed.

Green Method for the Preparation of Durable Superhydrophobic Antimicrobial Polyester Fabrics with Micro-Pleated Structures

“…In this environment, silver ions interact with bacterial cells, leading to the disruption of essential components within the bacteria and eventual bacterial death ( Figure 7 c). The antimicrobial action of silver ions includes four primary steps [ 19 , 50 , 51 ]. The first is interference with cell wall synthesis, as follows: the cell walls of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria contain peptidoglycan and lipopolysaccharide, which play pivotal roles in bacterial adhesion.…”

Recent Advances in Antibacterial Coatings to Combat Orthopedic Implant-Associated Infections

“…Superhydrophobic surfaces are created by combining rough surface structures with low-surface-energy materials via different approaches [ 50 ]. Briefly, rough structures (such as nanopillars, nanochannels, and nanodiscs) are created on hydrophobic materials to obtain superhydrophobicity.…”

“…In this research area, analogous topographic nanostructures, including nanorods, nanopillars, and nanoedges, are constructed to acquire inherent bacterial-killing properties [42]. The simple mechanism of contact killing by surface topogra- Superhydrophobic surfaces are created by combining rough surface structures with low-surface-energy materials via different approaches [50]. Briefly, rough structures (such as nanopillars, nanochannels, and nanodiscs) are created on hydrophobic materials to obtain superhydrophobicity.…”

Fabrication of polymeric microspheres for biomedical applications

“…99 Typically, super-wettability such as superhydrophobicity has attracted considerable attention for the uprising demands of self-cleaning, antiadhesive and antibacterial functions. 100–103 In 2010, the superhydrophobic surface (SHS) of polystyrene (PS) was usually adopted for production of natural (such as chitosan and alginate) or synthetic (such as PLGA and PNIPAm) microspheres for drug delivery and encapsulation of cells and proteins. 104,105 After five years, SHS made from candle soot was the commonly used template for fabrication of microspheres due to its simplicity and biocompatibility.…”