Antimicrobial Nanocoating

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goals of this SBIR project are to develop an antimicrobial nano-coating (AMNC) in order to address these important problems: 1) prevention of nosocomial infections by treating hand contact surfaces (e.g. door knobs, railings and bathroom fixtures) and improving the microbicidal and biofilm preventative properties of materials used in medical care (e.g. indwelling catheters, central lines, prostheses and other invasive devices); and 2) treating dental and surgical instruments to help prevent infections in non-ideal settings (e.g.3rd world or battlefield) where maintenance of sanitary facilities is extremely difficult. The AMNCs will be deposited from the vapor phase using a plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) process onto a variety of surfaces. Development of a viable AMNC requires thorough understanding of the following areas: 1) Deposition of nanometer-scale films via PECVD that contain leachable silver ions. These will be synthesized with at least two different matrix polymers (organic and inorganic) and a range of silver content via inclusion of silver-containing precursors in PECVD process. The bioavailability of the active metal ions will be controlled by providing these nanocoatings with a range of hydrophilicity and nanometer scaled porosity. 2) Establishing antimicrobial effectiveness of silver-containing PECVD films as a function of structure and composition; and 3) investigation of the specific mechanisms by which AMNCs inhibit bacterial growth and biofilm development. Film composition, thickness, and morphology are all controllable by suitable choice of specific reactant gases and deposition conditions. A successful Phase I project will result in the demonstration of a nanometer-scale antimicrobial coating that has been tested on a panel of approximately 20 of the top bacterial pathogens.