Ultrascalable Multifunctional Nanoengineered Copper and Aluminum for Antiadhesion and Bactericidal Applications

Abstract

bacteria. Bacterial viability measurements on both Cu and Al indicated a complex interaction between the antiadhesion and bactericidal nature of these materials and their surface topography, chemistry, and structure. Increased superhydrophobicity greatly decreased bacterial adhesion while not significantly influencing surface bactericidal performance. Furthermore, we observed that more densely packed nanoscale structures improved antiadhesion properties when compared to larger features, even over extended time scales of up to 24 h. Our data suggests that the superhydrophobic Al substrate possesses superior antiadhesion and bactericidal effects, even over long time courses. The techniques and insights presented here will inform future work on antiadhesion and bactericidal multifunctional surfaces and enable their rational design.