Innovative antibacterial, photocatalytic, titanium dioxide microstructured surfaces based on bacterial adhesion enhancement

Abstract

Bacterial colonization and biofilm formation are found on nearly all wet surfaces, representing a serious problem for both human healthcare and industrial applications, where traditional treatments may not be effective. Herein, we describe a synergistic approach for improving the performance of antibacterial surfaces based on microstructured surfaces that embed titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO2 NPs). The surfaces were designed to enhance bacteria entrapment, facilitating their subsequent eradication by a combination of UVC disinfection and TiO2 NPs photocatalysis. The efficacy of the engineered TiO2-modified microtopographic surfaces was evaluated using three different designs, and it was found that S2-lozenge and S3-square patterns had a higher concentration of trapped bacteria, with increases of 70 and 76%, respectively, compared to flat surfaces. Importantly, these surfaces showed a significant reduction (99%) of viable bacteria after just 30 min of irradiation with UVC 254 nm light at low intensity, being sixfold more effective than flat surfaces. Overall, our results showed that the synergistic effect of combining microstructured capturing surfaces with the chemical functionality of TiO2 NPs paves the way for developing innovative and efficient antibacterial surfaces with numerous potential applications in the healthcare and biotechnology market.