Kelly P J, Whitehead K A, Li H, Verran J, Arnell R D
Surface Engineering Group, Dalton Research Institute, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UK.
J Nanosci Nanotechnol. 2011 Jun;11(6):5383-7. doi: 10.1166/jnn.2011.3790.
ZrN/Ag nanocomposite coatings with varying silver contents were produced by co-deposition in a dual pulsed magnetron sputtering system. The coatings were characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scratch adhesion testing, thrust washer wear testing and nanoindentation. The hardness of the ZrN/Ag coatings and the friction coefficient running unlubricated against a steel counterface decreased with increasing silver content, whereas the coating-to-substrate adhesion increased for coatings with higher silver contents, compared to a 'pure' ZrN coating. The antimicrobial properties of the coatings were investigated using two well established microbiological assay techniques: zones of inhibition and a NBT (nitro-blue tetrazolium) redox dye. Zones of inhibition were used to determine the extent of silver ion release from the nanocomposite materials, and a NBT (nitro-blue tetrazolium) redox dye was used to determine the antimicrobial effectiveness of the surfaces following incubation. The microorganisms tested were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa), Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). Whilst no zones of inhibition were observed for S. aureus, on any of the surfaces, the diameter of the 'kill' zones generally increased with increasing silver content for the other microorganisms. For the NBT assays, after incubation, no P. aeruginosa colony forming units were observed on any surface and the number of viable cells of E. coli and S. aureus decreased with increasing silver content, compared to a 'pure' ZrN surface.
通过在双脉冲磁控溅射系统中进行共沉积制备了银含量不同的ZrN/Ag纳米复合涂层。使用扫描电子显微镜（SEM）、能量色散X射线光谱（EDX）、X射线衍射（XRD）、划痕附着力测试、止推垫圈磨损测试和纳米压痕对涂层进行了表征。ZrN/Ag涂层的硬度以及在无润滑条件下与钢对磨面的摩擦系数随银含量的增加而降低，而与“纯”ZrN涂层相比，银含量较高的涂层与基体之间的附着力增加。使用两种成熟的微生物检测技术对涂层的抗菌性能进行了研究：抑菌圈和NBT（硝基蓝四氮唑）氧化还原染料。抑菌圈用于确定纳米复合材料中银离子的释放程度，NBT（硝基蓝四氮唑）氧化还原染料用于确定培养后表面的抗菌效果。所测试的微生物为铜绿假单胞菌（P. aeruginosa）、大肠杆菌（E. coli）和金黄色葡萄球菌（S. aureus）。虽然在任何表面上均未观察到金黄色葡萄球菌的抑菌圈，但对于其他微生物，“杀灭”圈的直径通常随银含量的增加而增大。对于NBT检测，培养后，在任何表面上均未观察到铜绿假单胞菌的菌落形成单位，与“纯”ZrN表面相比，大肠杆菌和金黄色葡萄球菌的活细胞数量随银含量的增加而减少。
