Eliminating the Need for Biocidal Agents in Anti-Biofouling Polymers by Applying Grafted Nanosilica Instead

Abstract

A nondestructive one-step approach was applied for grafting biocide-free monodispersed silica nanoparticles (SNPs) with a diameter of 30 ± 10 nm on polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride surfaces. The prepared surfaces were comprehensively characterized using spectroscopic (Fourier transform infrared attenuated total reflection, ultraviolet–visible, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and microscopic (high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy) methods. The modified polymers were found to maintain their original mechanical and physical properties, while their nanoroughness on the other hand had risen by 1.6–2.7 times because of SNP grafting. The SNP-grafted surfaces displayed anti-biofouling properties, resulting in a significant reduction in the attached Gram-positive Bacillus licheniformis or Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria compared to their nongrafted counterparts. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy studies have confirmed that bacterial cells could not successfully adhere onto the SNP-grafted polymer films regardless of the polymer type, and their biofilm formation was therefore damaged. The presented facile and straightforward protocol allows eliminating the need for biocidal agents and resorts to grafted nanosilica instead. This strategy may serve as a feasible and safe platform for the development of sustainable anti-biofouling surfaces in biomedical devices; food, water, and air treatment systems; and industrial equipment.

Role of Bacillus species in biofilm persistence and emerging antibiofilm strategies in the dairy industry

“…Relevant microbial models are therefore required for adequate evaluation of anti‐biofilm technologies. These challenges were partially addressed in recent studies towards developing passive anti‐biofilm technologies . One such study suggested using a non‐destructive approach for grafting biocide‐free monodispersed silica nanoparticles on surfaces.…”

“…One such study suggested using a non‐destructive approach for grafting biocide‐free monodispersed silica nanoparticles on surfaces. This approach displayed strong anti‐biofouling properties and resulted in a significant reduction in the attached gram‐positive B. licheniformis or gram‐negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa . An additional study proposed utilizing antimicrobial peptide‐coated surfaces to prevent biofilm establishment by foodborne bacteria .…”

“…These challenges were partially addressed in recent studies towards developing passive anti-biofilm technologies. [105][106][107] One such study suggested using a non-destructive approach for grafting biocide-free monodispersed silica nanoparticles on surfaces. This approach displayed strong anti-biofouling properties and resulted in a significant reduction in the attached gram-positive B. licheniformis or gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa.…”

“…This approach displayed strong anti-biofouling properties and resulted in a significant reduction in the attached gram-positive B. licheniformis or gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 106 An additional study proposed utilizing antimicrobial peptide-coated surfaces to prevent biofilm establishment by foodborne bacteria. 107 After the modification of the physical properties of the stainless-steel surface, it was shown that the coated surface displayed a notable decrease in the ability of bacterial cells to attach and to subsequently form biofilm by different bacteria.…”

A Technological Understanding of Biofilm Detection Techniques: A Review

“…Thus, applying CLSM to detect biofilm in bioreactors is deemed to be ex situ. Moreover, CLSM has been applied in many different domains, examples of which are the detection of biofilm on dairy industrial reverse osmosis membranes [ 72 ], in validating anti-fouling properties of specific polymers [ 73 ], and the identification of marine bacteria and their biofouling characteristics [ 74 ]. The images obtained by applying CLSM in the different domains are of alternating resolution; the highest resolution (scale bar) obtained by Stoica et al (2018) is 101 μm, Boguslavsky et al (2018) acquired a resolution of 50 μm (scale bar), and Jeong et al (2018) were able to obtain a maximum resolution of 20 μm (scale bar).…”