Ozkan, Ekrem; (2018) PDMS-based antimicrobial surfaces for healthcare applications. Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis describes two types of approaches for reducing the incidence of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), which are chemical approaches that inactivate bacteria that adhere to the surface i.e. bactericidal activity and physical approaches that inhibit initial bacterial attachment to the surface i.e. anti-biofouling activity. Specifically, the antimicrobial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)-based systems detailed in this thesis are: (i) photosensitizer, crystal violet (CV),-coated PDMS for both medical device and hospital touch surface applications, (ii) crystal violet-coated, zinc oxide nanoparticle-encapsulated PDMS for hospital touch surface applications, (iii) superhydrophobic antibacterial copper coated PDMS films via aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) for hospital touch surface applications and (iv) slippery copper-coated PDMS films to prevent biofilm formation on medical devices. The materials were characterized using techniques including: X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), UV-vis absorbance spectroscopy, water-contact angle measurement and microbiology tests. Functional testing indicated that CV-coated samples were suitable for targeted applications and showed potent light-activated antimicrobial activity when tested against model Gram-positive bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, and Gram-negative bacteria, Escherichia coli, associated with hospital-acquired infections, with > 4 log reduction in viable bacterial numbers observed. On the other hand, CVD modified samples demonstrated highly significant antibacterial activity against both bacteria (> 4 log reduction in bacterial numbers) under dark conditions. Moreover, they resulted in a significant reduction in bacterial cell adhesion compared to PDMS and glass controls. However, superhydrophobic materials accumulated biofilm of both bacteria over a 2-day period while slippery materials significantly prevented biofilm formation over the same period. The novel and highly efficacious antibacterial materials reported in this thesis show a very strong potential to be utilized in hospital environments for reducing the incidence of HAIs.

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