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Updated: Feb 26, 2026

High-throughput Identification of Bacteria Repellent Polymers for Medical Devices
Published on: November 5, 2016
Modular approach for bimodal antibacterial surfaces combining photo-switchable activity and sustained biocidal
Piersandro Pallavicini1, Barbara Bassi2, Giuseppe Chirico3
1Department of Chemistry and Centre for Health Technology, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy. piersandro.pallavicini@unipv.it.
Abstract:
Photo-responsive antibacterial surfaces combining both on-demand photo-switchable activity and sustained biocidal release were prepared using sequential chemical grafting of nano-objects with different geometries and functions. The multi-layered coating developed incorporates a monolayer of near-infrared active silica-coated gold nanostars (GNS) decorated by silver nanoparticles (AgNP). This modular approach also enables us to unravel static and photo-activated contributions to the overall antibacterial performance of the surfaces, demonstrating a remarkable synergy between these two mechanisms. Complementary microbiological and imaging evaluations on both planktonic and surface-attached bacteria provided new insights on these distinct but cooperative effects.
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