Polypropylene makes great sutures and surgical meshes because it is strong and biocompatible. But it’s also susceptible to bacterial contamination that causes infections after surgery. Researchers have now used a laser to coat polypropylene medical devices with a forest of spiky carbon nanostructures that impart antibacterial properties.
The advance should “enable functional nanocarbon coatings on delicate, 3D substrates,” says Mostafa Bedewy, a professor of mechanical engineering and materials science at the University of Pittsburgh. It could be used to coat papers, textiles, and other delicate fibrous materials, he says. And besides medical applications, it could be used to create water-repelling and self-cleaning surfaces.
