A robust antibacterial coating for stainless steel

Because of corrosion, chemical resistance, relevant mechanical and esthetical properties, stainless steel is widely used in the daily life, not only in the building industry but also in the food industry, the appliances or in the medical field, including implants in orthopedic surgery. However, stainless steel is unable to prevent bacteria from adhering, proliferating and forming a resistant biofilm. Therefore, surface modification is needed for providing the metal surface with antibacterial properties. The scientific literature is very rich in describing various methods for imparting antibacterial properties to different inorganic supports. However, the activity of the coating is generally time limited by the diffusion of the biocide in the environment. Novel robust and stable antibacterial coatings on stainless steel are thus highly desirable for the durability of the functionality.
In this communication, we report on an all-in-one approach to prepare robust antimicrobial films on stainless steel using the layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolytes. Novel biocidal multilayered polyelectrolyte films in which the polycationic layer is silver loaded and bears 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), known as a promoter of adhesion to inorganic surfaces, were deposited onto stainless steel. DOPA was incorporated in the polycationic chains by radical copolymerisation of N-methacrylated DOPA with the commercially available quaternary ammonium salt of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA+). Polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) was the polyanionic constituent of the films. In order to boost the antibacterial activity of the polycationic layer, AgNO3 was added to the aqueous solution of P(DOPA)-co-P(DMAEMA+), which resulted in the in-situ formation of silver based nanoparticles (Ag° and AgCl) that are sources of biocial Ag+. The layer-by-layer deposition of aqueous P(DOPA)-co-P(DMAEMA+)/AgCl/Ag0 suspension and aqueous solution of PSS provides stainless steel with high antibacterial activity against Gram-negative E. Coli bacteria. Moreover, after silver depletion, films retain some antimicrobial activity, thanks to the ammonium groups of the copolymer. We will also show how the antibacterial activity of the films can then be easily re-boosted. The multi-functionality of the P(DOPA)-co-P(DMAEMA+) is a key issue in this process (i) the DOPA co-units are anchored to stainless steel, (ii) these co-units reduce partly AgNO3 into Ag0 nanoparticles and stabilize them by chelation, (iii) the chloride counter-anions react with AgNO3 by ionic exchange, leading to the in situ formation of AgCl particles, and (iv) the ammonium groups are responsible for permanent antibacterial activity. Besides the advantage of the all-in-one process, another major advantage of the approach proposed here is the implementation of the whole process of film formation, including the synthesis of P(DOPA)-co-P(DMAEMA+), in aqueous media under very mild conditions. It makes the strategy very attractive for industrial scaling-up and sustainability applications.