Cicada and catkin inspired dual biomimetic antibacterial structure for the surface modification of implant material

Implant infections frequently occur in various kinds of surgery. Apart from antibiotics, the surface modification of implant material is a promising avenue to resolve this global problem. An ideal implant interface is expected to possess good biocompatibility, as well as broad-spectrum and long-term bacterial inhibition capabilities. Here, a delicate cicada and catkin inspired dual biomimetic structure was proposed, for the first time, to improve the antibacterial properties of implant material. By using poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) as a model implant, the relative in vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrated that this dual biomimetic structure could simultaneously provide less bacterial adhesion, wider antimicrobial range and longer antibacterial durability. Meanwhile, the modified implant also retained ideal biocompatibility. Most importantly, the relative dual biomimetic structure engineering process could be accomplished through a simple, economic and fast hydrothermal chemical reaction, which might have an impact on the development of future biomedical materials.