Antibacterial nanofilm coatings based on organosilicate and nanoparticles

Super-hydrophilic coatings have been extensively studied because of their diverse applications, especially for anti-bacteria films. Anti-bacterial coatings in biomedical devices need to be durable and bio-compatible, but super-hydrophilic films are commonly very fragile due to a porous structure, which is essential for super-hydrophilic functionality, chemical contamination, and thermal stability. To overcome these drawbacks of anti-bacterial coatings, we introduced polymeric silsesquioxane into the nano-coating, resulting in superior thermal stability and matrix structure based on siloxane groups. Layer-by-layer assembly was used as a multilayer fabrication method to exquisitely control morphology, thickness, and functionality of the nano-coating, and fabricate suitable structures for super-hydrophilic films through simple dipping and washing steps. Antimicrobial and nanoindentation tests were carried out to demonstrate the successful enhancement in the antibacterial and mechanical properties of the nano-coatings.