Assessing the antimicrobial activity of polyisoprene based surfaces

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biotechnology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Biofouling poses significant challenges across various sectors, including marine applications, medical devices, and industrial infrastructure.
• Existing antifouling and antimicrobial solutions often involve toxic substances with environmental and health concerns.
• The development of sustainable and effective biofouling prevention strategies remains a critical research objective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize novel bio-based polymeric materials derived from natural rubber for antifouling and antibacterial applications.
• To investigate the structure-activity relationship of these materials to enhance their anti-biofouling efficacy.
• To evaluate the performance of the synthesized coatings against pathogenic and marine bacteria.

Main Methods:

• Natural rubber (polyisoprene) was fragmented into oligomers with reactive end groups.
• Oligomers were functionalized with polymerizable and biocidal groups.
• Films were fabricated using radical photopolymerization of the modified oligomers.
• The antifouling and antibacterial activity was assessed by studying the adhesion of pathogenic and marine bacteria.

Main Results:

• The synthesized natural rubber-derived coatings demonstrated significant inhibition of bacterial attachment.
• The antifouling mechanism was confirmed to be contact-based, with no detectable leaching of toxic molecules.
• Structural modifications of the films influenced their anti-biofouling efficiency.

Conclusions:

• Bio-based polymeric coatings synthesized from natural rubber offer a promising sustainable alternative for biofouling prevention.
• These materials exhibit dual antibacterial and antifouling activity through non-leaching mechanisms.
• Further research into structural optimization can lead to highly efficient and environmentally friendly anti-biofouling solutions.