A visible-light activated ROS generator multilayer film for antibacterial coatings

• Published in: Journal of materials chemistry. B, Materials for biology and medicine Materials for biology and medicine, 2022-12, Vol.1 (47), p.9869-9877
• Main Authors: Gill, Arshdeep Kaur, Shah, Sanchita, Yadav, Pranjali, Shanavas, Asifkhan, Neelakandan, Prakash P, Patra, Debabrata
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Antibacterial materials; Antibiotic resistance; Antibiotics; Antimicrobial activity; Bacteria; Boron; Catalytic activity; Chemical synthesis; Coatings; Difluorides; Gram-Negative Bacteria; Gram-Positive Bacteria; Irradiation; Light; Light irradiation; Multilayers; Organic chemistry; Organic compounds; Oxygen; Pandemics; Photocatalysis; Polymers; Singlet Oxygen; Spectroscopy; Surface chemistry; Thin films; Ultraviolet spectroscopy; Viruses
• ISSN: 2050-750X; 2050-7518
• DOI: 10.1039/d2tb01454h

The current scenario of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and pandemics caused by viruses makes research in the area of antibacterial and antiviral materials and surfaces more urgent than ever. In this regard, salicylideneimine based tetracoordinate boron-containing organic compounds are emerging as a new class of photosensitizers for singlet oxygen generation. However, the inherent inability of small organic molecules to be processed limits their potential use in functional coatings. Here we show the synthesis of a novel polymer functionalized with diiodosalicylideneimine-boron difluoride ( PEI-BF 2 ) and its utility for surface coating inside glass vials via layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. The multilayer thin films are characterized using AFM and UV-Vis spectroscopy and the resultant coatings display excellent stability. The multilayer coating could be activated using visible light, and owing to the photocatalytic activity of the incorporated PEI-BF 2 , the surface coating is able to generate singlet oxygen efficiently upon light irradiation. Further, the multilayer coated surfaces exhibit remarkable antimicrobial activity towards both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria under a variety of conditions. Thus, owing to the simple synthesis and the convenient methodology adopted for the preparation of multilayer coatings, the material reported here could pave the way for the development of sunlight activated large area self-sterile surfaces. Photoactive nanocoatings were developed via layer-by-layer assembly using diiodo-salicylideneimine boron difluoride functionalized polyethyleneimine. These nanocoatings exhibited exceptional antimicrobial activity upon visible light exposure.