Multifunctional coatings based on candle soot with photothermal bactericidal property and desired biofunctionality

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Functional coatings are crucial for biomedical applications, requiring specific bioactivities.
• Candle soot (CS), a carbon nanoparticle material, offers unique properties for coatings but lacks specific biofunctionality.
• Existing CS applications in biomedicine are limited by modification challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a facile method for creating multifunctional CS-based coatings.
• To impart specific biofunctions like biocidal and antifouling properties to CS coatings.
• To enhance the biomedical applicability of candle soot through polymer grafting.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of silica-stabilized CS coatings.
• Grafting of functional polymer brushes onto CS via surface-initiated polymerization.
• Evaluation of near-infrared-activated biocidal and antifouling properties.

Main Results:

• Coatings demonstrated excellent near-infrared-activated biocidal ability (>99.99% killing efficiency).
• Achieved desired biofunctions including antifouling and controllable bioadhesion (approx. 90% efficiency).
• Nanoscale structure of CS enhanced the observed biofunctions.

Conclusions:

• A versatile approach to create multifunctional CS coatings by grafting polymer brushes was established.
• The developed coatings possess potent biocidal and antifouling properties for biomedical use.
• This method expands the potential applications of candle soot in the biomedical field.