Recent Advances in Dual-function Superhydrophobic Antibacterial Surfaces.

Bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation on the surfaces of synthetic materials imposes a significant burden in various fields, which can lead to infections in patients or reduce the service life of industrial devices. Therefore, there is increasing interest in imbuing surfaces with antibacterial properties. Bioinspired superhydrophobic surfaces with high water contact angles (>150°) exhibit excellent surface repellency against contaminations, thereby preventing initial bacterial adhesion and inhibiting biofilm formation. However, conventional superhydrophobic surfaces typically lack long-term durability and are incapable of achieving persistent efficacy against bacterial adhesion. To overcome these limitations, in recent decades, dual-function superhydrophobic antibacterial surfaces with both bacteria-repelling and bacteria-killing properties have been developed by introducing bactericidal components. These surfaces have demonstrated improved long-term antibacterial performance in addressing the issues associated with surface-attached bacteria. This review summarizes the recent advancements of these dual-function superhydrophobic antibacterial surfaces. First, we provide a brief overview of the fabrication strategies and bacteria-repelling mechanism of superhydrophobic surfaces, and then we classify the dual-functional superhydrophobic antibacterial surfaces into three types based on the bacteria-killing mechanism: (i) mechanotherapy, (ii) chemotherapy, and (iii) phototherapy. Finally, we discuss the limitations and challenges of current research and propose future perspectives in this promising area. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.