Infection with pathogenic bacteria is a serious medical complication associated with health care environments. Such contamination ranges from medical devices such as catheters to transmission from frequently touched objects such as doorknobsand computer stations. Antimicrobial coatings that affect contact kill offer promise in helping curb the spread of such infections. However, long term stability of biocidal coatings is important for antimicrobial effectiveness. In this research, a novel hybrid coating is investigated aimed at improving the stability of antimicrobial effectiveness, mechanical properties and economy. The new hybrid polyurethanes display no-leaching contact kill against several strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative. Good biocidal effectiveness is retained after storage for at least two months under ambient conditions of temperature and humidity. Surface morphology and topology viaTM-AFM imaging of hybrid coatings  and zeta potential measurements provide insight into the stability of biocidal effectiveness and polycation concentration at the coating surface.*The authors are grateful for support from the National Science Foundation, Division of Materials Research, Grants DMR-0802452 and DMR-1206259.

Surface morphology of durable, highly effective antimicrobial hybrid coatings

247th National Meeting (2014)

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