New Process Gives Stainless Steel an Antibacterial Coating

Article

Stainless steel is the icon of cleanliness for home and commercial kitchens, restaurants, hospitals and other settings, but it can collect disease-causing bacteria like other surfaces if not cleaned often. Scientists now are reporting discovery, in the journal Langmuir (published by the American Chemical Society), of a practical way to make stainless steel that disinfects itself.

Christophe Detrembleur and colleagues explain that while stainless steel is prized for its durability, resistance to corrosion and ease of cleaning, it readily collects bacteria over time. The bacteria can form invisible colonies or biofilms collections of colonies bound tightly to a surface that spread disease. Existing ways of making stainless steel with an antibacterial surface are complicated, expensive and require the use of potentially toxic chemical substances. The authors sought an easier, "greener" way to make an antibacterial coating for stainless steel.

They describe development of a process for giving stainless steel a coating that killed all E. coli bacteria present within two hours in laboratory tests. It involves applying a layer of a bio-inspired adhesive to the steel, then four alternating layers of a negatively-charged polymer and positively-charged polymer micelles containing silver-based particles, which are highly bactericidal. The process takes only 10 minutes and uses water instead of potentially toxic substances.

"This novel water-based approach is convenient, simple and attractive for industrial applications," the researchers say.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Region Wallonne, ArcelorMittal, the University of Liège, the National Fund for Scientific Research (F.R.S.-FNRS) and Belspo.

Related Videos
Infection Control Today Topic of the Month: Mental Health
Infection Control Today Topic of the Month: Mental Health
Cleaning and sanitizing surfaces in hospitals  (Adobe Stock 339297096 by Melinda Nagy)
Set of white bottles with cleaning liquids on the white background. (Adobe Stock 6338071172112 by zolnierek)
Association for the Health Care Environment (Logo used with permission)
Woman lying in hospital bed (Adobe Stock, unknown)
Photo of a model operating room. (Photo courtesy of Indigo-Clean and Kenall Manufacturing)
Mona Shah, MPH, CIC, FAPIC, Construction infection preventionist  (Photo courtesy of Mona Shah)
UV-C Robots by OhmniLabs.  (Photo from OhmniLabs website.)
CDC  (Adobe Stock, unknown)
Related Content