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Galvanized steel is often used in the food industry due to its durability, strength, and lower cost relative to stainless steel. Herein, we report a coating method for galvanized steel that exhibits superhydrophobicity and antifouling capabilities, effectively inhibiting the attachment of fungi, bacteria, and mud. This coating was fabricated through a two-step process involving the immobilization of silica nanoparticles and subsequent chemisorption of an organosilane layer with low surface energy. The resultant coating yielded a static water contact angle of 157 ± 3.6°. Over a period of seven days, this coating achieved log10 reductions of 2.6 ± 0.1 and 2.9 ± 0.1 in the attachment of the bacterial strains of Salmonella enterica and Listeria innocua , respectively. Additional testing revealed a marked reduction in adherence of Aspergillus niger fungus. Following immersion in mud, coated surfaces showed an evident reduction in mud attachment in comparison to the original steel surfaces. Specifically, when tested with mud with a viscosity of ∼90,000 cP, the mud attachment percentage for the untreated steel surfaces and the coated steel surfaces was quantified as 94.57 ± 1.64% and 6.81 ± 2.43%, respectively. The electrochemical characterization of the coated steel, conducted in the presence of Salmonella enterica , revealed a 60.4 ± 10.4% decrease in the corrosion rate compared to the bare steel. The prospect of implementing the developed coating technology on galvanized steel surfaces—including but not limited to grain storage silos as well as various food-related storage units and containers—presents an opportunity for significant progression within the multidisciplinary fields of food engineering, safety, and processing. [Display omitted] • Novel antifouling/anticorrosion coating was developed for galvanized steel. • Coating exhibited antifouling effect against pathogenic fungi Aspergillus niger. • With use of coating, adhesion of Salmonella and Listeria was reduced by >99.5%. • Coated surfaces significantly reduced the corrosion rate induced by microorganisms. • The developed coating is ideal for galvanized steel food-contact surfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Illness as the result of ingesting bacterially contaminated foodstuffs represents a significant annual loss of human quality of life and economic impact globally. Significant research investment has recently been made in developing new materials that can be used to construct food contacting tools and surfaces that might minimize the risk of cross‐contamination of bacteria from one food item to another. This is done to mitigate the spread of bacterial contamination and resultant foodborne illness. Internet‐based literature search tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus were utilized to investigate publishing trends within the last 10 years related to the development of antimicrobial and antifouling surfaces with potential use in food processing applications. Technologies investigated were categorized into four major groups: antimicrobial agent–releasing coatings, contact‐based antimicrobial coatings, superhydrophobic antifouling coatings, and repulsion‐based antifouling coatings. The advantages for each group and technical challenges remaining before wide‐scale implementation were compared. A diverse array of emerging antimicrobial and antifouling technologies were identified, designed to suit a wide range of food contact applications. Although each poses distinct and promising advantages, significant further research investment will likely be required to reliably produce effective materials economically and safely enough to equip large‐scale operations such as farms, food processing facilities, and kitchens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demand for hip arthroplasties and other joint replacement orthopedic surgeries is on the rise. Combined with the emergence of antibiotic drug resistant strains of pathogenic bacteria, there is an increasing need for the development of bacterial antifouling surface treatment technologies which can be applied to titanium alloy medical devices. Herein is reported the development of a durable, fluorine-free superhydrophobic surface treatment for Ti6Al4V, fabricated through facile means without the use of HF or fluoropolymers, utilizing safe reagents under mild reaction conditions. Nanoscale texturing was created with an alkaline hydrothermal process. An alkyl surface chemistry was imparted via the deposition of an alkyl self-assembled monolayer to achieve superhydrophobic, non-wetting behavior. This superhydrophobic surface is capable of imposing 1.55 ± 0.13 and 1.72 ± 0.23 log 10 reductions in the adherent populations of Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) bacteria, respectively. This represents a safe route to a significant potential mitigation in the costs and dangers arising from medical device associated infections. [Display omitted] • Titanium alloy implant devices are prone to perioperative bacterial infection. • Superhydrophobic titanium surfaces are readily prepared without dangerous fluorine. • Modified, durable surfaces resist attachment of pathogenic bacterial species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A multifunctional coating combing antibacterial and antiadhesion characteristics was developed through facile and low-cost method. • Mesoporous nanosilica played a dual role in the coating, forming superhydrophobic surface and serving as a carrier for essential oil. • CEO-OTS-MCM coating showed excellent antibacterial and antiadhesion properties with a 99.9% reduction for E. coli and 99.6% for S. aureus. • The multifunctional coating was fluorine-free and metal-free, it also showed good mechanical durability and chemical stability. Bacterial adhesion to material surfaces is a prominent cause of bacterial infections and diseases. Antifouling coatings have garnered increasing attention in recent years as a means to address this significant challenge in surface hygiene and microbiological safety. In this study, a multifunctional antibacterial coating that employs a simultaneous release-inactivation and superhydrophobic antiadhesion strategy is presented. In this context, mesoporous silica nanoparticles were synthesized and chemically modified to provide dual functionality. First, the deposition of nanoparticles establishes a nanotopography with a low surface energy, resulting in a superhydrophobic surface, which minimizes the contact between aqueous bacterial suspensions and the surfaces. Second, periodic nanopores within the nanoparticles could be infused with cinnamon essential oil, which gradually diffuses into the surrounding medium, leading to the inactivation of planktonic bacteria. Quantitatively, the developed coating exhibited notable antibacterial and antiadhesion properties, reducing the proliferation of Gram-negative E. coli and Gram-positive S. aureus by 99.9% and 99.6%, respectively. It also demonstrated excellent mechanical and chemical durability. With its facile, low-cost, and universal fabrication, as well as its metal-free and fluorine-free properties, we anticipate this coating to have significant potential in mitigating the risk of bacterial contamination in biomedical applications and the food industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]