Synergistic Superhydrophobic and Photodynamic Cotton Textiles with Remarkable Antibacterial Activities

Pathogenic bacterial contamination is at the root of many persistent and chronic bacterial infections. Synergistic superhydrophobic surfaces functionalized with a cationic antimicrobial agent (e.g., quaternary ammonium components) show promising antimicrobial efficacies, but are inherently contradictory in simultaneously maintaining excellent surface liquid repellency and bactericidal activity due to the compromised low surface energy stemming from the introduced hydrophilic biocides. Herein, we present a synergistic antibacterial cotton textile with superhydrophobic bacterial repellency and photodynamic bactericidal activity for both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The modified cotton textile was constructed by integrating tunable micro/nanoscale roughness, hydrophobic photosensitizer chlorin e6, and surface perfluorination. The triple-scale structured superhydrophobic surfaces exhibited ≲90% reductions in both waterborne and airborne bacterial adhesions. Subsequently, after being exposed to visible light for 45 min, the synergistic surface demonstrated complete inactivation (100% killing) against residual bacterial cells via photodynamic bactericidal capacities. Moreover, the triple-scale structured superhydrophobic surface displayed totally suppressed whole blood adhesion, suggesting potential in preventing plenty of undesirable biomedical forms of contamination. This synergistically antibacterial surface not only improves the antibacterial efficiency but also leads to long-lasting antimicrobial performance, each of which is highly desirable in combating bacterial infections.