Resumen
A series of methacrylic copolymers bearing thiazolium cationic groups and catechol moieties were evaluated as antibacterial coatings on a variety of materials including aluminum and plastics such as polycarbonate, poly(methyl methacrylate), and silicone rubber. The thermal properties of the copolymers were first studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The cationic copolymers were thermally stable up to 200 °C and presented glass transition temperatures values well above 100 °C; thus, an acceptable thermal behavior for typical biomedical applications. The cationic copolymers with variable content of the adhesive anchoring N-(3,4-dihydroxyphenethyl) methacrylamide (DOMA) units were coated onto the metal and polymeric substrates by drop casting and the adhesive properties of the obtained coatings were further evaluated as a function of DOMA content and substrate. Optical profilometry, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectra, and antimicrobial studies reveal that the coatings adhere stronger to metal substrates than to the polymeric substrates. The copolymers with higher content of DOMA, 24 mol.%, resist solvent erosion treatment when coated onto all substrates and exhibit antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive S. aureus bacteria after this erosion treatment. In contrast, copolymers with low content, 9 mol.% of DOMA, only remain attached onto the aluminum metal substrate after solvent treatment, while on polymeric substrates the coatings are almost removed and do not show any efficacy against S. aureus bacteria.