Antimicrobial Performance of Bioinspired PLA Fabricated via One-Step Plasma Etching with Silver and Copper

Abstract

Nanotechnology has been adopted to mimic a biological system to design artificial nanostructures with properties suitable for advanced applications. In this way, bioinspired bactericidal surfaces with surface nanostructured like insect wings display antimicrobial properties that undergo a physicomechanical mechanism that disrupts the microbial cells, inhibiting their growth and proliferation. Herein, we describe a method to design nanocone patterns on the surface of poly­(lactic acid) (PLA) via one step of argon plasma etching in the presence of silver and copper. In this contribution, PLA with nanocone patterns were successfully obtained using 30 and 60 s of plasma etching, mimicking the surface of cicada wings that avoids the attachment of Escherichia coli, which is suitable for self-disinfectant medical devices. However, the plasma etching during 120 s generates a maze-like topographical surface with nanoholes that hampers both the adhesion and proliferation of bacteria on the PLA surface, which are important functional characteristics to fabricate self-disinfecting personal protection equipment for healthcare professionals in hospital environments subject to a wide variety of pathogenic microorganisms that adhere and proliferate on the material surfaces.

Layer-by-layer thinning of two-dimensional materials

“…In addition, various experimental factors such as H 2 , Ar, or O 2 partial pressure, etchant species, substrate, and buffer gas have also been observed to significantly influence the thinning behavior of 2D materials. Extensive theories have been explored and the mechanisms underlying the effects of parameters on 2D material thinning have been shown, but similar studies in another material thinning are still rare if these thinning methodologies are not only applied to 2D materials, but also applied to other materials and investigated for semiconductor devices such as polymer materials, [187][188][189][190][191][192][193] transition metal carbides, nitrides, carbonitrides (MXenes), [194][195][196][197][198][199] perovskite, [200][201][202][203][204] or thinning metal-based nanowire, nanotube, and nanorod structures. [205][206][207] The thinning advances in processing materials have the potential to open up new opportunities for the development of high-quality 2D materials that are needed for electronics and optoelectronics for suitable applications.…”

Self-assembled polylactic acid (PLA): Synthesis, properties and biomedical applications

“…To summarize, the surface topography of the biomaterials has a great influence on the adhesion, spreading, proliferation, and functional expression of cells. In order to fabricate different microstructures, various kinds of manufacturing techniques have been developed, such as 3D print (Zhou et al, 2016;Wu et al, 2020), plasma etching (da Silva andRosa, 2022;Ozaltin et al, 2022), lithography (Jeong et al, 2015;Sun et al, 2016), etc. However, aforesaid technologies are complex and precise control of the nanometer-sized features is still difficult to be achieved.…”

Learning from Nature: Fighting Pathogenic Escherichia coli Bacteria Using Nanoplasmonic Metasurfaces

“…Jang et al [7] created a rough surface containing nanopores and nanospikes on stainless steel 316L by electrochemical etching, and effectively inhibited bacterial adhesion on its surface. Also, Silva et al [8] reported on a plasma etching process in the presence of silver and copper to create conical nanostructures on poly(lactic acid) (PLA) surfaces which could ultimately prevent the adhesion and growth of E. coli biofilm by ≈95% after 24 h of incubation. Other tactics to create biomimetic nanostructures include direct replication of natural structures through molding, [9] or using a variety of lithography techniques on photoresists or photoactive azobenzene materials.…”