Cuprous Oxide Nanoparticles Decorated Fabric Materials with Anti-biofilm Properties.

Considering the global spread of bacterial infections, the development of anti-biofilm surfaces with high antimicrobial activities is highly desired. This work unraveled a simple, sonochemical method for coating CuO nanoparticles (NPs) on three different flexible substrates: polyester (PE), nylon 2 (N2), and polyethylene (PEL). The introduction of CuO NPs on these substrates enhanced their surface hydrophobicity, induced ROS generation, and completely inhibited the growth of sensitive ( and ) and drug-resistant (MDR and MRSA) planktonic and biofilm. The experimental results confirmed that CuO-PE exhibited complete biofilm mass reduction ability for all four strains, whereas CuO-N2 showed more than 99% biomass inhibition against both drug-resistant and sensitive pathogens in 6 h. Moreover, CuO-PEL also indicated a 99.95, 97.73, 98.00, and 99.20% biomass reduction of MRSA, MDR , , and , respectively. All substrates were investigated for time-dependent inhibitions, and the associated biofilm mass and log reduction were evaluated. The mechanisms of CuO NP action against the mature biofilms include the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) as well as electrostatic interaction between CuO NPs and bacterial membranes. The current study could pave the way for the commercialization of sonochemically coated CuO NP flexible substrates for the prevention of microbial contamination in hospitals and industrial environments.