Long-term stability of antibacterial TiN-Ag coatings deposited by combining cathodic arc evaporation and magnetron sputtering
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Surfaces and Interfaces |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| web | |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.surfin.2025.107830 |
| Keywords | Antibacterial coating; Silver; Titanium nitride; Durability; Cathodic arc evaporation; Magnetron sputtering; Industrial deposition process |
| Description | Silver-containing titanium nitride coatings (TiN-Ag) are deposited in industrial conditions by combining cathodic arc evaporation of a titanium target and magnetron sputtering of a silver target in a reactive argon-nitrogen atmosphere. They are deposited on steel substrates with the prospect of producing innovative antibacterial surfaces for everyday objects that are frequently exposed to human hand contact. Two different silver concentrations are studied to assess their impact on the antibacterial efficacy and mechanical properties of the coating. The obtained coatings are made of a mixture of two crystalline phases, TiN and Ag, that are in the same cubic system. Metallic silver in the coating provides an efficient antibacterial effect against two bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 6538P and Escherichia coli ATCC 8739. The antibacterial effect against E. coli ATCC 8739 is higher because the cell wall of S. aureus ATCC 6538P is thicker, making it more difficult to degrade and penetrate for silver ions. The long-term stability of the TiN-Ag coatings is evaluated by two different approaches. The first one uses specific equipment that simulates repetitive finger touches, and the second one consists in the attachment of coated steel samples to door handles for a two-month experiment in real-life conditions. |
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