Plasma Based Approaches for Deposition and Grafting of Antimicrobial Agents to Polymer Surfaces

Abstract

Improved protection of urinary stents against infections is a significant current challenge because of the increasing microbial resistance to the conventional antibiotics and negative issues for the patients. Formation of crystalline biofilms of pathogenic microbial cells is the leading cause of urinary stent associated infections. A lot of approaches, antimicrobial agents and techniques are under a study to mitigate the problem by creation of contact killing; releasing or low adhesive surfaces do not allow attachment of microbial cells. The plasma treatment has a number of advantages that make it preferable in many strategies for the development of antimicrobial biomaterials. The control over the plasma processing parameters allows control over the surface chemistry, charge, structure, morphology, hydrophilic/hydrophobic balance, etc. Due to a variety of biomaterials and bacteria, causing urinary tract infections, plasma assisted antibacterial strategies need in tailoring to each specific surface. Plasma treatment of polymers under corresponding operation conditions allows deposition of contact killing, releasing (including controlled release) or low-adhesive antimicrobial coatings, as well as polymer surface functionalization and durable immobilization of antimicrobial molecules. Most of the plasma technologies are developed in laboratory and the surface engineered biomaterials are tested in vitro.