Development of micropatterning polyimide films for enhanced antifouling and antibacterial properties

A commercial biomedical Polyimide (PI) film was topographically and chemically modified by generating micrometric periodic arrays of lines using Direct Laser Interference Patterning (DLIP) in order to improve antifouling and antibacterial properties. DLIP patterning was performed with periods from 1 μm to 10 μm. The physical modification of the surface was characterized by SEM, AFM and contact angle measurements and, the chemical composition of the ablated surfaces was analyzed by ATR-IR and XPS spectroscopies. The antibacterial effects were evaluated through the effect on Pseudomonas aeruginosa colonies growth on the LB (Luria Bertani) broth. The results showed that the laser treatment change the topography and as a consequence the chemistry surface, also that the microstructured surfaces with periods below 2 μm, exhibited a significant bacterial (P. aeruginosa) adhesion decrease compared with non-structured surfaces or with surfaces with periods higher than 2 μm. The results suggest that periodic topography only confer antifouling properties and reduction of the biofilm formation when the microstructure presents periods ranging from 1 μm to 2 μm. On the other hand, the topography that confer strong antifouling superficial properties persists at long incubation times. In that way, polymer applications in the biosciences field can be improved by a surface topography modification using a simple, single-step laser-assisted ablation method.