Deposition of Antimicrobial Copper-Rich Coatings on Polymers by Atmospheric Pressure Jet Plasmas

Abstract

Inanimate surfaces serve as a permanent reservoir for infectious microorganisms, which is a growing problem in areas in everyday life. Coating of surfaces with inorganic antimicrobials, such as copper, can contribute to reduce the adherence and growth of microorganisms. The use of a DC operated air plasma jet for the deposition of copper thin films on acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) substrates is reported. ABS is a widespread material used in consumer applications, including hospitals. The influence of gas flow rate and input current on thin film characteristics and its bactericidal effect have been studied. Results from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy confirmed the presence of thin copper layers on plasma-exposed ABS and the formation of copper particles with a size in the range from 20 to 100 nm, respectively. The bactericidal properties of the copper-coated surfaces were tested against Staphylococcus aureus. A reduction in growth by 93% compared with the attachment of bacteria on untreated samples was observed for coverage of the surface with 7 at. % copper.

The future for plasma science and technology

“…With the limited life time of the plasma‐provided antimicrobial characteristics, there should be no active residues left when the treated products are placed on the shelf for sale, however, further studies towards this aspect are still needed. Another indirect antimicrobial effect that plasmas provide is the possibility to furnish antimicrobial coatings, eg, with copper, with a particular interest in coatings for temperature‐sensitive plastic materials . Tailoring surface biomedical properties of devices of different shape and function, ie, from tubes as in catheters to porous systems as in membranes and biodegradable polymer scaffolds, is a key advantage of non‐thermal plasmas.…”

Evolution of the Surface Wettability of PET Polymer upon Treatment with an Atmospheric-Pressure Plasma Jet

“…Many different plasma configurations can be used to achieve better wettability ranging from low-pressure to atmospheric-pressure plasmas. Nowadays, atmospheric-pressure plasma jets (APPJ) are particularly popular, and their application in polymer surface treatment is still increasing [8][9][10][11]. Such plasmas enable localized treatment of what is beneficial in various biomedical applications [12][13][14][15].…”

Deposition of Copper Oxide Coatings With an Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Source: I − Characterization of the Plasma

“…(a) Schematic of the DC jet with a 51 k Ω ballast resistor and the measures of the electrodes. The plasma is formed in the 0.4 mm gap between the electrodes and pushed outwards by the gas flow . (b) Measured I–V curves, which demonstrate the stability of the plasma.…”