The marked increase in bacterial colonization of medical devices and multiple drug resistance to traditional antibiotics underline the pressing need for developing novel antibacterial surface coatings. In the present investigation, natural polyphenol tannic acid (TA)-capped silver nanoparticles (TA-Ag NPs) were synthesized via an environmentally friendly and sustainable one-step redox reaction under UV irradiation with a simultaneous and uniform deposition on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and other substrate surfaces. In the synthesis process, the dihydroxyphenyl and trihydroxyphenyl groups of TA actively participate in Ag+ reduction, forming co-ordination linkages with Ag NPs and bestowing the deposition on the PDMS surface. The physico-chemical features of TA-Ag NPs were characterized in detail. Microscopic examination, surface elemental analysis, and wettability measurements clearly reveal the decoration of TA-Ag NPs on the substrate surfaces. The modified PDMS surfaces can kill the adhered bacteria or resist the bacterial adhesion, and no live bacteria can be found on their surfaces. Most importantly, the modified PDMS surfaces exhibit predominant antibacterial effects both in vitro in the catheter bridge model and in vivo in a rat subcutaneous infection model. On the other hand, the functionalized surfaces exhibit only a negligible level of cytotoxicity against L929 mouse fibroblasts with no side effects on the major organs of Sprague-Dawley rats after implantation, indicating their biocompatibility for potential biomedical applications.
Keywords: UV irradiation; antibacterial; silver nanoparticles; surface-coating; tannic acid.