Formation Of Nanocones And Generation Of Negative Potential On Stainless Steel Surfaces By Electrochemical Etching Synergistically Reduce Pseudomonas Aeruginosa'S Biofilm

Hospital-acquired infections cause severe patient problems because of the augmented appearance of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Material surfaces modified with several biophysical parameters can decrease bacterial biofilm formation, which could be an advantageous alternative to treatment with antibiotics. Since stainless steel is an extensively used material for manufacturing medical implants and in healthcare settings, in this study, we used stainless steel (SS 316L and SS 304) to examine the result of the material surface topographies on bacterial biofilm establishment. This work used the electrochemical etching method to modify the stainless steel surface topography as an anode. The electrochemical etching method influenced the nanocones’ formation on stainless steel surfaces of both SS316L (Disk-6: 2682 peaks/μm2) and SS304 (Disk-12: 1654 peaks/μm2) estimated by atomic force microscopy and 3D Profilometer reduced the biofilm by 78% and 85%, respectively. Additionally, the higher negative potential on an average of 600mV measured by Kelvin probe atomic force microscopy reduced the biofilm formation on both SS316L and SS304 surface synergistically compared to the non-electrochemically etched surface. Biofilm growth and nanopotrusions on the stainless-steel surface examined by atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy demonstrated significantly dead bacterial cells (20%) on the electrochemically etched surface than on the non-electrochemically etched surface after 2h contact time. Our observations exhibit that the nanotextured surface topographies and surface negative potential effectively inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation.