抗菌性に及ぼす光触媒とPTFEの相乗効果

<p>The development of high-quality antibacterial materials is crucial for effectively combating the spread of infectious diseases. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) itself lacks antibacterial properties. However, incorporating PTFE into photocatalyst particle-dispersed antibacterial materials has been reported to enhance their antibacterial effectiveness. Despite this knowledge, the precise mechanism underlying this enhancement remains unclear. Therefore, in this study, we sought to test the hypothesis that the addition of PTFE to the photocatalyst particle-dispersed antibacterial material reduces the surface free energy of the matrix, consequently boosting the movement speed of Escherichia coli (E. coli). This enhanced movement facilitates increased contact between E. coli and photocatalyst particles, ultimately augmenting the antibacterial effect. We assumed that E. coli movement follows a random walk pattern, and we compared our findings with previously documented experimental results. The results revealed that the incorporation of PTFE to the photocatalyst particle-dispersed material increases the migration speed of E. coli on this material, increasing it from 0.43 μm/s to 0.52 μm/s. From these results, the enhancement mechanism of the antibacterial properties by adding PTFE to photocatalyst particle-dispersed antibacterial materials has been clarified.</p>