SBIR Phase I: Antimicrobial Nanocoatings through Grafting of PECVD Films

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project aims to develop a novel process onto a variety of surfaces. Effective integration of ionic silver into the coating remains a difficult engineering challenge due to low precursor volatility and ionic metal ligand instability. The proposed development of a commercially viable AMNC process will include: 1)Deposition of nanometer-scale films via PECVD that contain leachable silver ions, synthesized with at least two different matrix polymers (organic and inorganic) and a range of silver content. This will be accomplished via post-deposition grafting of silver containing organometallics onto PECVD plasma polymers. 2) Establishing antimicrobial effectiveness of these silver-containing PECVD films as a function of structure and composition. Film composition, thickness, and morphology are all controllable by suitable choice of 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. Commercially AMNCs are not currently available on the market. Thinner than the razor edge of a scalpel and nearly invisible, AMNCs offer distinct advantages over available thick antimicrobial paints while addressing important problems such as nosocomial (hospital acquired) infections (NI). NIs represent one of the most severe problems facing the health care industry. The CDC estimates that NIs cause over 100,000 deaths per year in the U.S. alone, with a concomitant increased health care cost of over 5 billion dollars per year. Contaminated hands are believed to be the single greatest cause of transmitting NIs. Applying AMNCs to hand contact surfaces (e.g. door knobs, bathroom fixtures) in facilities such as hospitals and public schools could be tremendously beneficial. Moreover, AMNCs can enhance healthcare by improving microbial and biofilm resistance of medical materials (e.g. indwelling catheters, central lines, prostheses, other invasive devices).