title: Suppressing bacterial interaction with copper surfaces through graphene and hexagonal-boron nitride coatings.
abstract: Understanding biological interaction with graphene and hexagonal-boron nitride (h-BN) membranes has become essential for the incorporation of these unique materials in contact with living organisms. Previous reports show contradictions regarding the bacterial interaction with graphene sheets on metals. Here, we present a comprehensive study of the interaction of bacteria with copper substrates coated with single-layer graphene and h-BN. Our results demonstrate that such graphitic coatings substantially suppress interaction between bacteria and underlying Cu substrates, acting as an effective barrier to prevent physical contact. Bacteria do not "feel" the strong antibacterial effect of Cu, and the substrate does not suffer biocorrosion due to bacteria contact. Effectiveness of these systems as barriers can be understood in terms of graphene and h-BN impermeability to transfer Cu(2+) ions, even when graphene and h-BN domain boundary defects are present. Our results seem to indicate that as-grown graphene and h-BN films could successfully protect metals, preventing their corrosion in biological and medical applications.
authors.affiliation: †Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Parra
authors.affiliation: ‡Departamento de Química, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montero-Silva
authors.affiliation: †Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Henríquez
authors.affiliation: §Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Físicas y Matemáticas, Universidad de Chile, Avenida Blanco Encalada 2008, Santiago, Chile.
authors.forename: Marcos
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Flores
authors.affiliation: †Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garín
authors.affiliation: ∥Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Ambiental, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Cristian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: †Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Macarena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: †Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.|⊥Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Avenida Universidad 330, Curauma, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.affiliation: ‡Departamento de Química, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Seeger
authors.affiliation: †Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Avenida España 1680, Valparaíso, Chile.
authors.forename: Patricio
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Häberle
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D001422:Bacterial Adhesion; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001896:Boron Compounds; D020099:Coated Materials, Biocompatible; C017282:boron nitride; D006108:Graphite; D003300:Copper
keywords: biocorrosion; copper; graphene coating; graphene impermeability; hexagonal boron nitride coating