Antibacterial Coatings of Biomedical Surfaces by Polydextran Aldehyde/Polyethylenimine Nanofibers

Hospital-acquired infections are predominately associated with bacteria colonization on the surfaces of medical devices and implants. To reduce such infection, we report a simple method for antibacterial coating of various surfaces (e.g., glasses and fabrics) at hospital site. As found, adhesive hydrogels made of polydextran aldehyde (PDA) and polyethylenimine (PEI) killed the three types of bacteria (E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa) with minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) at 9.8, 3.5, and 4.5 mg/mL. Then the antibacterial surfaces of glasses and fabrics were obtained via coating them by electrospinning of PDA/PEI nanofibers for 30 min. After they were coated, the surfaces could completely suppress the growth of E. coli, S. aureus, and P. aeruginosa for up to 108 h of incubation, but they still maintained their cytocompatibility to fibroblasts. This surface coating is highly effective and long-acting, showing potential applicability in suppressing bacterial infections.