An investigation into bacterial attachment to an elastomeric superhydrophobic surface prepared via aerosol assisted deposition.
THIN SOLID FILMS
3722 - 3727.
Bacterial attachment is highly dependent on a surfaces microstructure. For example, some rough surfaces provide grooves suitable for bacterial adhesion. Superhydrophobic surfaces with a Cassie-Baxter wetting mechanism are shown to prevent contact between a bacterium and surface attachment points. The surface used in this study is a highly rough thin film made from a silicone elastomer via an aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) process. The films had water contact angles averaging 165, a very low slip angle, and were capable of duplicating the Lotus effect. The ability of bacteria (Escherichia coli and Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) to adhere to this surface was tested by submersion in a bacterial suspension. The superhydrophobic elastomer surfaces reduced the attachment of the bacteria tested, relative to the control surfaces of plain glass, and flat elastomeric films. The reduction in bacterial adhesion, without the external action of chemicals, gives the elastomer surface deposited with AACVD possible applications in biomedical and catering industries. This progressive study of bacterial adhesion is carried out on an AACVD prepared surface and presents adhesion results from both smooth and highly roughened elastomeric surfaces. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
|Title:||An investigation into bacterial attachment to an elastomeric superhydrophobic surface prepared via aerosol assisted deposition|
|Keywords:||Lotus effect, Superhydrophobic, Chemical vapour deposition, Bacterial attachment, Antimicrobial, PHOTOCATALYTIC ACTIVITY, THIN-FILMS, LOTUS, WATER, ADHESION, LEAF, TOPOGRAPHY, LIGHT, APCVD|
|UCL classification:||UCL > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences
UCL > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Medical Sciences > Eastman Dental Institute
UCL > School of BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > School of BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Chemistry
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