Investigation of selected anti-bacterially modified Micro/Nano-polymers using cold plasma

Abstract

Medical-grade polymers, i.e., polyvinylchloride and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), were modified by antibacterial compounds through a multistep physicochemical approach. The polymer initial surface activation was performed foremost via diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge (DCSBD) plasma in air at ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure. Then, radical graft copolymerization of acrylic acid (AA) through grafting-from pathway was directed to render a well-defined brush of high density, and finally the selected antibacterial compounds were immobilized onto the functionalized polymer surfaces. This modification led to inhibition of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacterial strains adhesion to the polymer surface.