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Proto-SLIPS: Slippery Liquid-Infused Surfaces that Release Highly Water-Soluble Agents
Fengrui Wang1, Jordan T York1, Takuma N Kawamura2
1Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1101 University Ave., Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States.
New proto-SLIPS surfaces release water-soluble drugs to kill bacteria and then form self-healing slippery surfaces. This approach combines antimicrobial action with antibiofouling properties for advanced applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Biotechnology
- Surface Chemistry
Background:
- Slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) prevent bacterial fouling but cannot kill bacteria or reduce cell loads.
- Existing SLIPS methods for antimicrobial release are limited to hydrophobic agents soluble in infused oils.
- A need exists for SLIPS capable of releasing water-soluble antimicrobial agents.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop novel "proto-SLIPS" capable of releasing highly water-soluble antimicrobial agents.
- To demonstrate the antimicrobial efficacy and self-healing properties of these proto-SLIPS.
- To explore the modularity and potential applications of this new drug-eluting SLIPS strategy.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of proto-SLIPS by patterning hydrophilic drugs (e.g., gentamicin) onto hydrophobic porous materials.
- Assessment of rapid drug release upon water exposure.
- Observation of rapid self-healing of the oil-infused surface after drug release.
- Microbiological studies using *Staphylococcus aureus* to evaluate antimicrobial activity and antibiofouling capabilities.
Main Results:
- Proto-SLIPS rapidly released patterned gentamicin, followed by self-healing of the slippery surface.
- Gentamicin-patterned proto-SLIPS demonstrated significant killing of *Staphylococcus aureus* in vitro and in liquid culture.
- The surfaces transformed into effective antibiofouling coatings after drug release.
- Demonstrated modularity with antifungal peptides and dual-release coatings for different bacterial species.
Conclusions:
- The proto-SLIPS strategy offers a new method for creating drug-eluting SLIPS.
- This approach enables the release of diverse agents, including highly water-soluble compounds.
- Proto-SLIPS combine potent antimicrobial activity with inherent antibiofouling properties, expanding SLIPS applications in healthcare and beyond.
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