Development of superhydrophobic polymer nanocomposite coatings with antimicrobial properties

The development of antifouling and antimicrobial surfaces that would prevent the transfer of bacteria has gained the scientific interest during the recent years. In this work, polymer nanocomposite coatings are developed to provide surfaces with antifouling and antimicrobial properties. This was achieved via deposition of a nanohybrid coating containing the appropriate polymer and either alumina or titania nanoparticles or layered Mxene nano-additives. The wetting properties were evaluated via contact angle (CA) and contact angle hysteresis measurements, the morphology of the coated surfaces was examined using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), while the surface chemical composition was determined via Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The nanohybrid composition was optimized in order to achieve the desired wetting properties. For the optimized nanocoating composition, a superhydrophobic (CA > 150°) and water repellent (hysteresis < 5°) surface was obtained for all nano-additives. The stability of the coated surfaces with time or under temperature was examined whereas their antimicrobial properties were evaluated as well. Acknowledgements: This research has been partially financed by the EU Horizon Europe Programme (project STOP, Grant Agreement 101057961).