Electrospun polymer mats are widely used in tissue engineering, wearable electronics, and water purification. However, in many environments, the polymer nanofibers prepared by electrospinning suffer from biofouling during long-term usage, resulting in persistent infections and device damage. Herein, we describe the fabrication of polymer mats with CeO2- x nanorods that can prevent biofouling in an aqueous environment. The embedded CeO2- x nanorods are functional mimics of natural haloperoxidases that catalyze the oxidative bromination of Br- and H2O2 to HOBr. The generated HOBr, a natural signaling molecule, disrupted the bacterial quorum sensing, a critical step in biofilm formation. The polymer fibers provide porous structures with high water wettability, and the embedded cerium oxide nanozymes act as a catalyst that can efficiently trigger oxidative bromination, as shown by a haloperoxidase assay. Additionally, the embedded nanozymes enhance the mechanical property of polymer mats, as shown by a single-fiber bending test using atomic force microscopy. We envision that the fabricated polymer mats with CeO2- x nanorods may be used to provide mechanically robust coatings with antibiofouling properties.
Keywords: antibiofouling; bromination catalysis; cerium oxide nanorods; electrospun mats; enzyme mimics; nanozymes.