Materiales inteligentes para la detección de bacterias basados en moléculas electrocrómicas

Resumen

Nosocomial or hospital acquired infections are those acquired by hospital patients due to contaminated equipment, bed linens, or humidity in the environment, among others. In order to minimize the number of HAIs, antibacterial fabrics have been developed by incorporating bactericidal nanoparticles into them. However, these materials lose their activity over time increasing the risk of contamination and infection. Therefore, bacterial detection in situ is required. As a strategy to detect bacteria, metabolic indicators are molecules that only change in direct contact with live bacteria due to bacterial metabolism, producing a change in conductivity, pH or color. Electrochromic metabolic indicators have shown the ability to act as electron acceptors in the bacterial respiration process, such as Prussian blue, which has a different color for both its oxidized and reduced forms. The current PhD thesis is focused on the study of the bacterial-sensing response of Prussian blue, its application to the development of smart materials and their implementation in antimicrobial textiles and water filter membranes for the prevention of bacterial infections. The incorporation of bacterial sensing molecules in the smart materials will allow the in situ determination of the life-time of the bactericide materials and their effectiveness in the control of bacterial infections. This technology, initially conceived to prevent HAI in hospital settings, has been of interest in other application sectors including schools, elderly homes, public transport or public furniture, among others.