Hybrid Planar Copolymer Membranes with Dual Functionality\nagainst Bacteria Growth

Antibacterial\nsurfaces can be classified into two categories: passive\nsurfaces, which repel bacteria by affecting surface wettability, and\nactive surfaces, which have bactericidal properties that disrupt cell\nmembranes upon contact. With the increasing demand for effective antibacterial\nsolutions that combine these properties, advanced strategies are concentrating\non developing surfaces with dual antimicrobial functionalities. Here,\nwe present surfaces with nanotexture resulting from the phase separation\nof two different amphiphilic block copolymers displaying efficient\ndual functionality against bacteria growth. This approach combines\nthe inherent antifouling properties of poly(ethylene oxide) as the\nhydrophilic domain of one copolymer with the antimicrobial effect\nof a peptide covalently attached to the hydrophilic domain of the\nsecond copolymer. The planar membranes are generated by self-assembly\nof the amphiphilic copolymer mixture deposited by Langmuir–Blodgett\nand Langmuir–Schaffer methods on a solid support, followed\nby covalent attachment of the antimicrobial peptides to one of the\ncopolymers, specifically functionalized. Combining both copolymers,\nin terms of their properties and functionalities on the same surface,\nsignificantly limitsEscherichia colibiofilm formation and effectively eradicates bacteria during short-term\nincubation. While such multifunctional antimicrobial planar polymer\nmembranes show promising potential in the design of fine coatings\nfor small surgical or implantable devices, they are not limited to\nthis application. Their use can be completely changed by attaching\nother active molecules or assemblies to induce specific multifunctionality\nfor the targeted application.