Preparation and properties of antibacterial PVDF composite thin films

As medical dressings, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) thin films loaded with antimicrobial agents offer excellent wound infection control. In this study, PVDF/tea polyphenol (TPs) and PVDF/TPs/Ag composite thin films were prepared by electrically assisted three-dimensional (3D) printing method. The surface morphology, hydrophilicity, and antibacterial properties of the composite thin films were studied. The results showed that the presence of appropriate amount of TPs promoted the crystallinity and beta-phase content of the PVDF thin films, and TPs played an important role in the formation of abundant holes on the surface of PVDF films. It facilitated the deposition of silver nanoparticles on the surface of PVDF thin film and improved the uniformity of their distribution. The Escherichia coli (E. coli) inhibition rate of the PVDF/TPs composite thin film reached 97.22%. The antibacterial activity of this composite thin film improved significantly after the deposition of silver nanoparticles, and the E. coli inhibition rate of the PVDF/TPs/Ag composite thin film was 99.58%.

Automated summary

In this study, PVDF/TPs and PVDF/TPs/Ag composite thin films were prepared using electrically assisted 3D printing method, and their surface morphology, hydrophilicity, and antibacterial properties were studied. Results showed that TPs promoted crystallinity and hole formation on PVDF surface, while the deposition of silver nanoparticles improved antibacterial activity significantly.