Regenerable superhydrophobic coatings for biomedical fabrics

Abstract

Coatings with high water repellence represent a promising field for biomedical applications. Superhydrophobicity (SH) can be used for preventing adhesion, controlling cell deposition, and spreading by inhibition of adsorption processes at liquid-solid interfaces. The recyclability of medical aids like fabrics can open the way for lower cost and more environmentally-friendly solutions. In this case, two different coatings form recyclable and low global warming potential materials and green solvents have been prepared and characterized based on their wettability properties. The resulting substrates have been used for the adhesion and spreading of representative skin cell lines, both tumoral and non-tumoral, showing a strong decrease in cell viability with values < 10%. The coated substrates showed a complete recovery on initial SH properties after rinsing with suitable solvents.