Surface treatment of polyethylene naphthalate using bimetallic nanostructures

This project focused on the improvement of polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) by surface modification techniques and the subsequent study of its suitability for biomedical applications. PEN was modified using a KrF laser producing periodic nanostructures with specific surface properties. Then, Au/Ag nanowires were applied to the thus treated substrate by vacuum evaporation technique. Atomic force microscopy confirmed the change in the surface morphology of the modified PEN depending on the angle of incidence of the laser beam. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy showed that the distribution of selected metals was dependent on the vapor deposition technique. It turns out that authors bimetallic nanowires represent a promising antibacterial surface treatment of biocompatible polymers, thanks to a suitable combination of metals. The antibacterial effect of the prepared Au / Ag nanowires was demonstrated during 24 hours of incubation against E. coli and S. epidermidis by drop tests. In addition, the WST-1 cytotoxicity test showed that the material could be considered non-toxic. Taken together, these results suggest that the prepared bimetallic nanostructures could be used as an effective biocompatible coating in a wide range of bioapplications. (authors)