Lubricant-infused surfaces with inherent antibacterial properties

Bacterial adhesion and related infections have caused great concern to the medical and healthcare sectors over the past decades. Herein, we report on a biomimetic lubricant-infused surface based on nanopillar structures of zinc oxide (LIS-ZnO). This type of surfaces exhibits inherent antibacterial activity and effective reduction of bacterial attachment against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae (Pss), which have different biofilm formation modes. The LIVE/DEAD assays employing confocal microscopy indicate that bacteria were killed after 24 h of incubation on the surface. This is attributed to the photocatalytic activity that the underlying ZnO nanopillars of the lubricant-infused surfaces possess, which was demonstrated through effectively degrading cyanine-based fluorescent dyes within a 5-hour observation period. Furthermore, the observed adherent bacterial signals on these LIS-ZnO surfaces were the least among all tested samples. Specifically, this type of lubricant-infused surfaces reduced colony formation units of E. coli and Pss by about 70 % and 35 %, respectively, compared to a superhydrophobic surface based on the same nanopillars. These attributes make the LIS-ZnO surfaces a potential candidate for use in healthcare industries to resist bacterial adhesion and tackle biofouling.