Long-term antibiofilm efficacy of slippery covalently-attached liquid-like surfaces in dynamic and static culture conditions

This study explores the antibiofilm potential of slippery covalently-attached liquid-

like surfaces (SCALS), revealing their remarkable ability to inhibit biofilm formation

over extended periods, regardless of their hydrophobic or hydrophilic nature. We

engineered permanently bound liquid-like solid surfaces with exceptional slipperiness,

defined by ultra-low contact angle hysteresis, and assessed their effectiveness against

two nosocomial pathogens, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PAO1) and Staphylococcus

epidermidis (FH8). These surfaces achieved a 3–5 order of magnitude reduction in

biofilm formation compared to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) under both static and

dynamic culture conditions over 14 days. Impressively, both the hydrophobic and

hydrophilic slippery liquid-like solid surfaces significantly outperformed widely used

antimicrobial coatings containing silver particles in the long term in both static and

dynamic cultures. These slippery surfaces also outperformed emerging antibiofilm

surfaces like liquid-infused surfaces in extended period of dynamic cultures. We have

demonstrated that ultra-low liquid-solid friction, characterized as ultra-low contact

angle hysteresis, is an important predictor of the long-term antibiofilm performance of

both hydrophobic and hydrophilic slippery covalently-attached liquid-like surfaces,

particularly in dynamic cultures. This work elucidates the interfacial mechanisms and

scientific principles underpinning the design of advanced antibiofilm surfaces capable

of maintaining superior performance over the long term.