Novel Single-Dip Method for Producing Antibacterial and other Electrostatic Metal based Surface Coatings
- Technology Benefits
- • Inexpensive, efficient dipping route to using aqueous solutions • Wide applicability to a variety of substrates and long durability of the coatings • Applicable for coating large areas and non-planar surfaces • Flexible in tailoring surface composition, a high degree of control over the coatings thickness, and the re-usability of the plating solutions
- Detailed Technology Description
- Novel method to produce antibacterial and other electrostatic metal coatings on multiple surfaces.
- *Abstract
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Northwestern researchers have developed an inexpensive, single-dip method for producing antibacterial and other electrostatic metal coatings on surfaces. The process involves depositing "patchy" coatings of metal nanoparticles (NP) with alternating charge distributions onto arbitrarily shaped substrates of various types of materials, including polymers, elastomers and semiconductors. Surface adsorption of the NP is driven by cooperative electrostatic interactions and does not require chemical ligation or layer-by-layer schemes. The composition and the quality of the coatings can be regulated at multiple levels. Variation of NP types, ionic charges, relative NP concentrations, and pH all factor into and determine the coating quality. Adding antibacterial properties onto devices is achieved with a coating of silver nanoparticles. Food packaging can also be coated with silver nanoparticles such that the NPs are released inside the package, allowing food to last longer. Another application of this technology is a new class of super hydrophobic coating requires the addition of functionalized metal nanoparticles on polymeric surfaces without a need for material-specific chemical attachment.
- *Inventors
- Stoyan K. Smoukov Kyle J.M. Bishop Bartlomiej Kowalczyk Alexander M. Kalsin Bartosz A. Grzybowski
- Country/Region
- USA
