Hassan, IA; (2016) Antimicrobial thin films via aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition. Doctoral thesis , UCL (University College London).

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Abstract

This thesis focuses on the development of antimicrobial coatings through the use of aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD). The spread of nosocomial infections in healthcare settings can be attributed to contact between healthcare personnel and infected patients. Consequently, it can be proposed that the utilisation of antimicrobial surfaces may cause a decrease in hospital microbial contamination as well as enhancing infection-control. Aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) is used as the main deposition technique. It involves the formation of an aerosol through the dissolution of a precursor in a solvent and depends on solubility rather than the volatility of the precursors. A major advantage for AACVD is the ability to be an industrially scalable process and to deposit on a wide range of substrates including the commonly used materials on touch surfaces in hospitals such as stainless steel. This is an approach that offers a fast and easy route to the deposition of nanocomposite thin films. Recently, much research has been invested into the preparation of these thin films, particularly for applications in antimicrobial coatings on surfaces. Moreover, it has been noted that the doping of metal oxide thin films with natural antimicrobial species can increase the antibacterial effectiveness. During the course of this research project, the development of nanocomposite films based on copper, copper oxide, gallium oxide and zinc oxide was explored, with the aim of forming robust stable films with antimicrobial efficacy. The effectiveness of the antimicrobial films was investigated under lighting conditions found in hospital environments using serial dilution and viable colony counts. All experiments were carried out in duplicate and the number of survivors were determined by visible counting. Due to the high antimicrobial activity exhibited for copper, incorporating copper into metal oxides (gallium oxide and zinc oxide) were investigated in order to produce transparent films that will increased bactericidal activity. The investigation examined the precursor delivery, effect of substrate temperature, solvent and additives on the CVD reactions. All of the films that were prepared were characterised using a number of techniques such as SEM/EDX, XRD, UV/Visible spectroscopy, XPS and XAS.

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