Bactericidal Activity of Superhydrophobic and Superhydrophilic Copper in Bacterial Dispersions

A method based on nanosecond laser processing was used to design superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic copper substrates. Three different protocols were used to analyze the evolution of the bactericidal activity of the copper substrates with different wettability. Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the variation of cell morphology after the attachment to superhydrophilic and superhydrophobic surfaces. The dispersions of Escherichia coli K12 C600 and Klebsiella pneumoniae 811 in Luria Bertani broth in contact with the superhydrophilic copper surface showed enhanced bacterial inactivation, associated with toxic action of both hierarchically textured copper surface and high content of Cu²⁺ ions in the dispersion medium. In contrast, the bacterial dispersions in contact with the superhydrophobic copper substrates demonstrated an increase in cell concentration with time until the development of corrosion processes. The resistance of bacterial cells to contact the copper substrates is discussed on the basis of surface forces, determining the primary adhesion and of the protective action of a superhydrophobic state of the surface against electrochemical and biological corrosion.