Physical methods for controlling bacterial colonization on polymer surfaces

The adhesion and formation of microbial biofilm on material surfaces is a relevant problem in many areas including in medicine and biomaterials engineering. Biofilms are the primary cause of persistent infections associated with biomedical devices and clinical settings due to their tolerance and resistance to antimicrobial treatment. Reducing initial bacterial attachment to surfaces could decrease the formation of biofilms and, consequently, the posterior dispersion stage in which bacteria present within biofilms expand to other regions, spreading the infection. In this context, the use of surface topography to minimize microbial infections and biofilm formation represents an emerging area of research as it tackles this problem without the need to use antibiotics or other chemical agents. Herein, we review recent progress in surface topography-based antimicrobial approaches and provide an overview of the influence of micro- and nano-topography on bacterial surface attachment. We focus primarily on structured polymeric surfaces. The versatility and properties of polymer materials, along with their propensity to standardization at different length scales, make them an excellent option for fabrication of numerous medical devices. This work also provides a brief overview of recent advances in patterning polymers using lithography, direct-write patterning techniques, and instability-induced patterning. The impact of micro-, nano- and hierarchical surface structuration on the antimicrobial response of polymeric surfaces is addressed to offer new insights for the preparation of antimicrobial materials.