Preparation of slippery liquid infused porous surfaces on polymeric substrates

Abstract

Many polymers have been found in bio-science paralleling with advancement in a technology sector. A selection of suitable polymers for using in a biomedical sector is based on many factors such as chemical nature, surface free energy or morphology, which influence cell-polymer surface interactions. However, these materials suffering from infections represent serious issues for their applications. These infections closely relate with biofilm formation, whereby microorganisms are strongly attached to surface forming strong attached multicellular communities. Therefore, a preparation of slippery liquid infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) using low-temperature plasma technique in combination with electrospinning technique was utilized in this research. A multistep physicochemical approach was carried out for this purpose. The first step includes the pre-treatment of polyethylene (PE) and polyurethane (PU) substrates using low-temperature plasma to activate the surface for an adhesion improvement. Subsequently, the 3D porous network consisted of superhydrophobic fiber mats was fabricated on the plasma activated substrates using electrospinning technique. Final step consisted of the infusion of naturally oils with emphasis on their antimicrobial effect. This complex strategy led to the effective antimicrobial modification of the PE and PU surface potentially applicable in the biomedical field.