Plasma-enhanced synthesis of bactericidal quaternary ammonium thin layers on stainless steel and cellulose surfaces.

We have investigated bottom-up chemical synthesis of quaternary ammonium (QA) groups exhibiting antibacterial properties on stainless steel (SS) and filter paper surfaces via nonequilibrium, low-pressure plasma-enhanced functionalization. Ethylenediamine (ED) plasma under suitable conditions generated films rich in secondary and tertiary amines. These functional structures were covalently attached to the SS surface by treating SS with O 2 and hexamethyldisiloxane plasma prior to ED plasma treatment. QA structures were formed by reaction of the plasma-deposited amines with hexyl bromide and subsequently with methyl iodide. Structural compositions were examined by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and surface topography was investigated with atomic force microscopy and water contact angle measurements. Modified SS surfaces exhibited greater than a 99.9% decrease in Staphylococcus aureus counts and 98% in the case of Klebsiella pneumoniae. The porous filter paper surfaces with immobilized QA groups inactivated 98.7% and 96.8% of S. aureus and K. pneumoniae, respectively. This technique will open up a novel way for the synthesis of stable and very efficient bactericidal surfaces with potential applications in development of advanced medical devices and implants with antimicrobial surfaces.

Plasma-enhanced modification of xanthan gum and its effect on rheological properties.

The structure and rheological properties of xanthan gum (XG) modified in a cold plasma environment were investigated. XG was functionalized in a capacitively coupled 13.56-MHz radio frequency dichlorosilane (DS)-plasma conditions and, consecutively, in situ aminated by ethylenediamine. The surface structure of modified XG was evaluated on the basis of survey and high-resolution ESCA, FTIR, and fluorescence labeling techniques. The types of species generated in DS-plasma were reported using residual gas analysis (RGA). The aqueous solutions of modified XG were cross-linked and cured at room temperature to form stable gels. The dynamic rheological characteristics of virgin XG and functionalized and cross-linked XG were compared. It was found that parameters such as plasma treatment time and concentration of solutions can be optimized to form stable gels of XG. Thus, cold plasma technology is a novel, efficient, and nonenzymatic route to modify XG.