Diatom Microbubbler for Active Biofilm Removal in Confined Spaces.
Indexed on: 15 Aug '18Published on: 15 Aug '18Published in: ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces
Abstract
Bacterial biofilms form on and within many living tissues, medical devices, and engineered materials, threatening human health and sustainability. Removing biofilm remains a grand challenge despite tremendous efforts made so far, particularly when they are formed in confined spaces. One primary cause is the limited transport of anti-bacterial agents into extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) of the biofilm. In this study, we hypothesized that a microparticle engineered to be self-motile with microbubbles would clean a structure fouled by biofilm by fracturing the EPS and subsequently improving transports of the antiseptic reagent. We examined this hypothesis by doping a hollow cylinder-shaped diatom biosilica with manganese oxide (MnO) nanosheets. In an antiseptic HO solution, the diatoms doped by MnO nanosheets, denoted as diatom bubbler, discharged oxygen gas bubbles continuously and became self-motile. Subsequently, the diatoms infiltrated the bacterial biofilm formed on either flat or micro-grooved silicon substrates and continued to generate microbubbles. The resulting microbubbles merged and converted surface energy to mechanical energy high enough to fracture the matrix of biofilm. Consequently, HO molecules diffused into the biofilm and killed most bacterial cells. Overall, this study provides a unique and powerful tool that can significantly impact current efforts to clean a wide array of bio-fouled products and devices.
