AUTHOR=Zhang Weixing , Du Juan , Zhu Tonghe , Wang Ruilan 

TITLE=SiO2 nanosphere coated tough catheter with superhydrophobic surface for improving the antibacteria and hemocompatibility

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/bioengineering-and-biotechnology/articles/10.3389/fbioe.2022.1067139

DOI=10.3389/fbioe.2022.1067139

ISSN=2296-4185

ABSTRACT=<p>Catheter infection is the most common complication after vascular catheter placement, which seriously threatens the survival of critically ill patients. Although catheters with antibacterial drug coatings have been used, catheter infections have not been effectively resolved. In this research, a SiO<sub>2</sub> nanosphere-coated PTFE catheter (PTFE-SiO<sub>2</sub>) with enhanced antibacterial and excellent mechanical properties was prepared <italic>via</italic> dopamine as a graft bridge. The microscopic morphology results show that the nanospheres are uniformly dispersed on the surface of the catheter. The physicochemical characterization confirmed that PTFE-SiO<sub>2</sub> had reliable bending resistance properties, superhydrophobicity, and cytocompatibility and could inhibit thrombosis. Antibacterial results revealed that PTFE-SiO<sub>2</sub> could hinder the reproduction of <italic>E. coli</italic> and <italic>S. aureus</italic>. This research demonstrates the hydroxyl-rich materials obtained by hydroboration oxidation have the advantages of better dispersion of functional coatings, indicating their potential for helpful modification of catheters.</p>