Institute of Bioengineering and Bioimaging, 31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos #07-01, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Nov 15;22(22):12315. doi: 10.3390/ijms222212315.
Surface antimicrobial materials are of interest as they can combat the critical threat of microbial contamination without contributing to issues of environmental contamination and the development drug resistance. Most nanostructured surfaces are prepared by post fabrication modifications and actively release antimicrobial agents. These properties limit the potential applications of nanostructured materials on flexible surfaces. Here, we report on an easily synthesized plastic material with inherent antimicrobial activity, demonstrating excellent microbicidal properties against common bacteria and fungus. The plastic material did not release antimicrobial components as they were anchored to the polymer chains via strong covalent bonds. Time-kill kinetics studies have shown that bactericidal effects take place when bacteria come into contact with a material for a prolonged period, resulting in the deformation and rupture of bacteria cells. A scanning probe microscopy analysis revealed soft nanostructures on the submicron scale, for which the formation is thought to occur via surface phase separation. These soft nanostructures allow for polyionic antimicrobial components to be present on the surface, where they freely interact with and kill microbes. Overall, the new green and sustainable plastic is easily synthesized and demonstrates inherent and long-lasting activity without toxic chemical leaching.
表面抗菌材料备受关注，因为它们可以在不造成环境污染和耐药性问题的情况下对抗微生物污染的严重威胁。大多数纳米结构表面是通过后制造修饰来制备的，并主动释放抗菌剂。这些特性限制了纳米结构材料在柔性表面上的潜在应用。在这里，我们报告了一种易于合成的具有内在抗菌活性的塑料材料，该材料对常见细菌和真菌表现出优异的杀菌性能。塑料材料不会释放抗菌成分，因为它们通过强共价键锚定在聚合物链上。时程杀菌动力学研究表明，当细菌长时间接触材料时，会发生杀菌效果，导致细菌细胞变形和破裂。扫描探针显微镜分析显示，亚微米尺度上存在软纳米结构，据认为其形成是通过表面相分离产生的。这些软纳米结构允许聚离子抗菌成分存在于表面，它们可以自由地与微生物相互作用并杀死它们。总的来说，这种新型绿色可持续塑料易于合成，具有内在的持久活性，且没有有毒化学物质浸出。
