Antifouling superhydrophobic surfaces with bactericidal and SERS activity

Fouling and contamination of surfaces are prevailing challenges humanities facing today in fields such as healthcare, hospitality, and food manufacturing. These challenges strongly motivate the development of multifunctional surfaces with antifouling and antimicrobial properties that are coupled with sensing capabilities. To address this challenge, we prepared a multifunctional superhydrophobic surface using eco-friendly materials: polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and carnauba wax. After deposition of a thin film of Ag, the surface gained surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) activity and bactericidal property. The multifunctional superhydrophobic surface showed extreme liquid repellency towards water and common liquid food. The strong SERS activity enabled the detection of adulterant rhodamine B in a sausage down to a nanomolar level. Notably, the surface showed excellent bactericidal activity towards two common bacteria, E. coli, and S. aureus, significantly reducing their adhesion and killing. Additionally, the surface showed anti-fouling behavior against common liquid food, and even towards sticky foods such as yogurt, honey, and pomegranate sauce, reducing residual food by >97 %. Furthermore, the superhydrophobic surface showed excellent chemical stability in dynamic and static flow conditions and leaching of Ag in neutral and basic solutions was minimal.