Publication Date
2018
Journal or Book Title
Materials
Abstract
From ship hulls to bandages, biological fouling is a ubiquitous problem that impacts a wide range of industries and requires complex engineered solutions. Eliciting materials to have antibacterial or antifouling properties describes two main approaches to delay biofouling by killing or repelling bacteria, respectively. In this review article, we discuss how electrospun nanofiber mats are blank canvases that can be tailored to have controlled interactions with biologics, which would improve the design of intelligent conformal coatings or freestanding meshes that deliver targeted antimicrobials or cause bacteria to slip off surfaces. Firstly, we will briefly discuss the established and emerging technologies for addressing biofouling through antibacterial and antifouling surface engineering, and then highlight the recent advances in incorporating these strategies into electrospun nanofibers. These strategies highlight the potential for engineering electrospun nanofibers to solicit specific microbial responses for human health and environmental applications.
ORCID
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1265-5392 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7855-6082
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11071059
Volume
11
Special Issue
Electrospun Materials 2018
Issue
7
License
UMass Amherst Open Access Policy
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Kurtz, Irene S. and Schiffman, Jessica D., "Current and Emerging Approaches to Engineer Antibacterial and Antifouling Electrospun Nanofibers" (2018). Materials. 872.
https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11071059