Anti-biofouling and antimicrobial urinary catheters through superhydrophobic cerium oxide coatings

Sahin F., Ozpolat D., ÇELİK N., Barlas F. B., ÖNSES M. S.

COLLOIDS AND SURFACES A-PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND ENGINEERING ASPECTS, cilt.751, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)

Özet

Catheter-associated surface contamination is a persistent problem for polymeric medical devices, where early microbial attachment can contribute to biofilm formation and infection-related complications. Here, dual-protective Foley catheter interfaces are engineered through the synergistic integration of anti-biofouling superhydrophobic surfaces and antimicrobial cerium oxide (CeO2) particles within a unified coating platform. Superhydrophobic Me-PDMS@CeO2-coated catheters are fabricated by deposition of CeO(2)particles, which were hydrophobized by the mechanochemical grafting of methyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (Me-PDMS). Physicochemical characterization of the interfaces was performed using several analytical techniques. The coated catheters showed a contact angle of similar to 168 degrees and a sliding angle of similar to 3 degrees, indicating stable superhydrophobicity. This wetting behavior was maintained after short-term water immersion and ultraviolet (UV) exposure. The coating showed excellent anti-biofouling performance after 24 h, with no visible colony formation from Me-PDMS@CeO2-coated surfaces. In addition, the coating achieved approximately 3-log reductions against Escherichia coli(E. coli), Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus), and Candida albicans(C. albicans), indicating measurable antimicrobial activity against Gram-negative, Gram-positive, and fungal microorganisms. Time-dependent analysis showed delayed antimicrobial activity, with the time required for 99.9% reduction estimated at similar to 23-25 h. Cytocompatibility remained above the 70% viability threshold under the tested conditions. These results demonstrate Me-PDMS@CeO(2)as a surface-engineered coating combining physical anti-biofouling with antimicrobial functionality.