Superficial structuring of copper by femtosecond laser radiation for development of antibacterial surfaces

Abstract One of the most common ways of spreading infections is through surfaces that are under highly frequent contact such as handles or buttons in public places. An effective strategy to combat this problem is to develop durable surfaces modified at micro and nano level that can hinder the adhesion and dissemination of microbials. This paper presents a contactless and reproducible methodology for surface nano texturing of copper by means of femtosecond laser ablation. The surfaces of copper plates were irradiated by femtosecond laser (λ = 800 nm; τ = 70 fs) with varying range of working parameters in order to develop parallel and crossed surface modifications comprised of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS). The formed crossed patterns led to a shift in the wettability state of copper towards high hydrophobicity, while the parallel modifications improved the hydrophilicity. Furthermore, the femtosecond laser texturing reduced the oxide layer formation on copper. These results would serve as the basis for conducting further investigation on the potential antimicrobial effects of the modified copper surfaces.