Universal strategy for constructing antibioadhesive and robust coatings for wood

The demand for surface antibioadhesion of wood, the most widely used material for interiors, has increased due to health concerns. For achieving antibioadhesion, the surface energy of wood materials must be reduced and their micro/nanostructure roughness must be increased. Inspired by lotus leaves, poly(pentafluorophenyl isocyanide) (PFPI)-grafted wood (wood-g-PFPI) with micro/nanostructure roughness and low surface energy was developed by grafting PFPI into the wood structure at the molecular level via thiol-ene click chemistry. The chemical structure, morphology, and water contact angle of wood-g-PFPI were characterized via Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and contact angle measurements. Wood-g-PFPI10 exhibited excellent hydrophobicity (162 degrees), antibacterial adhesion (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli), antifriction as well as self-cleaning properties, and biocompatibility owing to the increased surface roughness of the ring helical structure of the grafted PFPI. This method makes full use of the molecular characteristics of wood, so it can also be transferred to all the cellulosic substrates, such as fabric, paper and so on. Regardless of the size and space constraints of the substrate, this modification method has the potential for antibioadhesion and other applications of helical polymers.