Xiong Yanbin, Cui Junnan, Lou Tong, Cao Pan
Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China.
School of Mechanical Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Surface Strengthening and Functional Manufacturing, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2025 Jun 24;255:114907. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2025.114907.
Biofouling due to marine microorganism adhesion poses significant challenges for marine vessels, necessitating innovative antifouling solutions. This study aimed to investigate the antifouling performance of an antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) immobilized on dopamine-modified stainless steel (SS) surfaces, as a novel approach for antifouling applications. Herein, dopamine was utilized to form a modification layer on SS, subsequently immersed in AMPs solution to create SS-DA-A samples. The surface characteristics were characterized through X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), contact angle measurement instrument, fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM). Antimicrobial properties were assessed using plate counting, measuring bacterial adhesion, and optical density value, while algal resistance was determined through SEM and CLSM methods, specifically assessing the coverage by algae. The results demonstrated the successful modification of the SS surface, characterized by FTIR peaks corresponding to AMPs, and a significant reduction in contact angle with the introduction of dopamine. Notably, the SS-DA-A surface exhibited enhanced antimicrobial efficacy against Vibrio natriegens (V. natriegens), Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), and Escherichia coli (E. coli), with a marked reduction in biofilm formation, and C. pyrenoidosa and P. tricornutum coverage decreased by approximately 96.46 % and 91.61 %, respectively. Molecular dynamics simulation results reveal that antimicrobial peptides interact with the bacterial phospholipid bilayer, disrupting bacterial integrity and thus achieving surface antimicrobial activity. This study effectively demonstrates that dopamine facilitates the successful immobilization of AMPs on SS surfaces, leading to significantly improved antibacterial, anti-algal, and biofilm resistance properties, and offers a promising new strategy for antifouling technology in marine settings.
海洋微生物附着导致的生物污损给船舶带来了重大挑战，因此需要创新的防污解决方案。本研究旨在探讨固定在多巴胺修饰不锈钢（SS）表面的抗菌肽（AMPs）的防污性能，作为一种新型的防污应用方法。在此，利用多巴胺在SS上形成修饰层，随后将其浸入AMPs溶液中以制备SS-DA-A样品。通过X射线光电子能谱（XPS）、场发射扫描电子显微镜（FESEM）、接触角测量仪、傅里叶变换红外光谱（FTIR）和共聚焦激光扫描显微镜（CLSM）对表面特性进行了表征。使用平板计数、测量细菌附着力和光密度值评估抗菌性能，同时通过SEM和CLSM方法确定抗藻性能，具体评估藻类的覆盖率。结果表明，SS表面成功改性，FTIR峰对应于AMPs，并且随着多巴胺的引入接触角显著降低。值得注意的是，SS-DA-A表面对纳豆芽孢杆菌（V. natriegens）、金黄色葡萄球菌（S. aureus）和大肠杆菌（E. coli）表现出增强的抗菌效果，生物膜形成显著减少，并且小球藻（C. pyrenoidosa）和三角褐指藻（P. tricornutum）的覆盖率分别降低了约96.46%和91.61%。分子动力学模拟结果表明，抗菌肽与细菌磷脂双层相互作用，破坏细菌完整性，从而实现表面抗菌活性。本研究有效地证明了多巴胺有助于将AMPs成功固定在SS表面，从而显著提高抗菌、抗藻和抗生物膜性能，并为海洋环境中的防污技术提供了一种有前景的新策略。
