Superhydrophobic Mechano-Bactericidal Surface with Photodynamic Antibacterial Capability

Abstract

Bacterial invasion and proliferation on various surfaces pose a serious threat to public health worldwide. Conventional antibacterial strategies that mainly rely on bactericides exhibit high bacteria-killing efficiency but might trigger the well-known risk of antibiotic resistance. Here, we report a superhydrophobic mechano-bactericidal surface with photodynamically enhanced antibacterial capability. First, bioinspired nanopillars with polycarbonate as the bulk material were replicated from anodized alumina oxide templates via a simple hot-pressing molding method. Subsequently, a facile bovine serum albumin phase-transition method was used to introduce chlorin e6 onto the nanopillar-patterned surface, which was then perfluorinated to render the surface superhydrophobic. Benefiting from its strong liquid super-repellency and photodynamically enhanced mechano-bactericidal properties, the superhydrophobic nanopillar-patterned surface exhibits 100% antibacterial efficiency after 30 min visible light irradiation (650 nm, 20 mW cm −2 ). More strikingly, the surface exhibited impressive long-lasting antimicrobial performance, maintaining a very high bactericidal efficiency (≥99%) even after 10 cycles of bacterial contamination tests. Also, the superhydrophobic nanopillar-patterned surface displays good hemocompatibility with a much lower than the 5% hemolysis rate. Overall, this work offers a new method for significantly enhancing the antibacterial efficiency of structural antimicrobial surfaces without involving any bactericidal agents, and this functional surface shows great potential in the field of advanced medical materials and hospital surfaces.

Superhydrophobic Surfaces to Combat Bacterial Surface Colonization

“…≥ 99% bactericidal efficiency [145] surfaces is due to the Cassie-Baxter state (or plastron) that prevents microbial adhesion (Figure 5a). However, very few studies experimentally show how bacteria would float on the plastron.…”

ROS conversion promotes the bactericidal efficiency of Eosin Y based photodynamic therapy

“…4 Therefore, the development of antibacterial approaches without drug-resistance is urgently required. 31,32 Thus, the antibacterial capability of the HEPES/EOS PDT system against MRSA and MRSA biofilm were tested. After 5 min of light illumination, intense fluorescence signals were detected on the MRSA cells that were treated with the EOS and EOS/HEPES PDT systems (Fig.…”

Mechanochemical Coupling of Alkylsilanes to Nanoparticles for Solvent-Free and Rapid Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Materials

“…The anti-biofouling ability is on par or better than previously reported materials. 5,15,16,70 Figure 5d presents the SEM images of the surface of the superhydrophobic monolith and the reference sample after cultured with the two bacteria. Since bacteria attachment on the surface of the superhydrophobic coating was minimal, we had to search for bacteria for SEM imaging, and only a few could be found.…”

“…The self-cleaning property observed in lotus leaves is a prime example of this phenomenon . Over the last decade, superhydrophobic coatings have gained increasing attention due to their numerous potentials in a wide range of settings, including self-cleaning surfaces, − antifouling coatings, − and oil-water separation membranes. , The self-cleaning property of the superhydrophobic surfaces is particularly useful in applications such as solar panels and windows where the accumulation of dirt and dust can reduce their efficiency. , In antifouling applications, superhydrophobic coatings can prevent and reduce marine organisms’ attachment and biofilm growth on underwater equipment like ship hulls, which, if left untreated, can increase drag and accelerate corrosion. , Most importantly, superhydrophobic antifouling coatings can play a crucial role in reducing the initial attachment and proliferation of pathogenic bacteria on food processing equipment, medical devices, and other high-touch surfaces, thereby effectively minimizing contamination and infection, leading to significant public health and economic benefits. − …”