Hybrid Planar Copolymer Membranes with Dual Functionality against Bacteria Growth

Antibacterial surfaces can be classified into two categories: passive surfaces, which repel bacteria by affecting surface wettability, and active surfaces, which have bactericidal properties that disrupt cell membranes upon contact. With the increasing demand for effective antibacterial solutions that combine these properties, advanced strategies are concentrating on developing surfaces with dual antimicrobial functionalities. Here, we present surfaces with nanotexture resulting from the phase separation of two different amphiphilic block copolymers displaying efficient dual functionality against bacteria growth. This approach combines the inherent antifouling properties of poly(ethylene oxide) as the hydrophilic domain of one copolymer with the antimicrobial effect of a peptide covalently attached to the hydrophilic domain of the second copolymer. The planar membranes are generated by self-assembly of the amphiphilic copolymer mixture deposited by Langmuir-Blodgett and Langmuir-Schaffer methods on a solid support, followed by covalent attachment of the antimicrobial peptides to one of the copolymers, specifically functionalized. Combining both copolymers, in terms of their properties and functionalities on the same surface, significantly limitsEscherichia colibiofilm formation and effectively eradicates bacteria during short-term incubation. While such multifunctional antimicrobial planar polymer membranes show promising potential in the design of fine coatings for small surgical or implantable devices, they are not limited to this application. Their use can be completely changed by attaching other active molecules or assemblies to induce specific multifunctionality for the targeted application.