Facile antifogging and antibacterial coating for biomedical applications
Antifogging and antibacterial properties are both essential in biomedical examination and diagnostics to ensure clear visibility and prevent potential bacterial infections. However, it is quite challenging to integrate both functions on one surface.
A new study presents a rapidly assembled polyelectrolyte complex (PEC) coating, which can be applied to different transparent substrates through a facile combination of anionic polystyrene sulfonic acid (PSS) and cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB).
Excellent surface adhesion
Unlike traditional superhydrophilic anti-fogging mechanisms, the coating leverages the hygroscopic properties of polyelectrolyte complex groups, ensuring effective anti-fogging performances across a wide temperature range. Additionally, the incorporation of quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) within the PEC complex confers strong bactericidal properties to the coating. According to the researchers, the resultant coating exhibits excellent surface adhesion and robust resistance to water immersion, and low cytotoxicity. They point out that the coating shows significant promise for diverse applications in medical diagnostic and detection lens equipment.
The study has been published in Progress in Organic Coatings
Volume 199, February 2025, 108957.
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