Publication by Lisa Deblock

IHere you will find the paper by Lisa Deblock:
"The tightening of regulations on marine antifouling solutions is driving the demand for more environmentally friendly antifouling coatings. To meet this demand, two kinds of TiO2 photocatalytic surfaces consisting in thin films and microstructured films were synthesised and tested on the adhesion and biofilm formation of Vibrio harveyi. Aerosol-assisted metal organic chemical vapour deposition was used for the growth of these TiO2 layers. The microstructured films are characterised by the presence, on the top of TiO2 thin films, of hierarchical hemispherical microstructures formed by nanosheets and described as microflowers. Both thin films and microstructured films present a crystallisation in TiO2 anatase phase and are superhydrophilic. The photocatalytic activity increases by a factor of 10 in the presence of microflowers and the specific surface area increases by a factor of 170 when comparing both types of surfaces. The antifouling properties of TiO2 thin films and microstructured TiO2 films were tested for their effect on adhesion and biofilm formation of V. harveyi, a marine pathogen responsible for marine fouling. The role of the photocatalytic activity of these TiO2 surfaces was established by comparing the V. harveyi bacterial adhesion and biofilm maturation under illumination and in the dark. For both surfaces, bactericidal efficacy was observed under illumination during the adhesion stage; however, the presence of TiO2 microstructures enhanced significantly this effect. Furthermore, non-microstructured surfaces were specifically evaluated during biofilm formation, revealing antibiofilm activity after adhesion under illumination."