Biofouling is a major obstacle in engineered systems exposed to aqueous conditions. Many attempts have been made to modify surface properties to reduce its susceptibility to biofouling. These modifications typically rely on passive antimicrobial or anti-adhesive surface coatings that either prevent the deposition of bacteria or inactive them once they adhere on the surface. However, no surface modification strategies completely prevents biofilm formation and, over time, surfaces will be fouled and require cleaning. In this work, we demonstrate the capacity of electrochemical carbon nanotubes coatings in dispersing biofilms formed on the surface. A systematic analysis of the biofilm removal kinetics in function of applied current density is made to identify the optimal current conditions needed for efficient surface cleaning. Operating the electrochemically active surface as a cathode produces superior results compared to when it is operated as an anode. Specifically, the 5.00 A m-2 and 2.50 A m-2 cathodic conditions produced rapid cleaning, with complete biofilm dispersal after 2 min of operation. Surface cleaning is attributed to the generation of microbubbles on the surface that scours the surface to remove the adhered biofilm. Energy consumption analysis indicate the 2.50 A m-2 cathodic condition offers the best combination of cleaning kinetics and energy consumption and achieved 99% biofilm removal at an energy cost of ~0.0318 cents per m2. This approach can be competitive compared to chemical cleanings, which offer an opportunity for a more sustainable and integrated approach for biofouling management in engineered systems.

Biofilm dispersal from conductive carbon nanotubes surfaces: cleaning kinetics and energy consumption analysis

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.