The combination of titania nanofilms and silver nanoparticles (NPs) is a very promising material, with antibacterial and osseointegration-induced properties for titanium implant coatings. In this work, we successfully prepared TiO₂ nanolayer/Ag NP structures on titanium disks using atomic layer deposition (ALD). The samples were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), contact angle measurements, and SEM-EDS. Antibacterial activity was tested against Staphylococcus aureus. The in vitro cytological response of MG-63 osteosarcoma and human fetal mesenchymal stem cells (FetMSCs) was examined using SEM study of their morphology, MTT test of viability and differentiation using alkaline phosphatase and osteopontin with and without medium-induced differentiation in the osteogenic direction. The samples with TiO₂ nanolayers, Ag NPs, and a TiO₂/Ag combination showed high antibacterial activity, differentiation in the osteogenic direction, and non-cytotoxicity. The medium for differentiation significantly improved osteogenic differentiation, but the ALD coatings also stimulated differentiation in the absence of the medium. The TiO₂/Ag samples showed the best antibacterial ability and differentiation in the osteogenic direction, indicating the success of the combining of TiO₂ and Ag to produce a multifunctional biocompatible and bactericidal material.

In recent years, antibacterial coatings have become an important approach in the global fight against bacterial pathogens. Developments in materials science, chemistry, and biochemistry have led to a plethora of materials and chemical compounds that have the potential to create antibacterial coatings. However, insufficient attention has been paid to the analysis of the techniques and technologies used to apply these coatings. Among the various inorganic coating techniques, atomic layer deposition (ALD) is worthy of note. It enables the successful synthesis of high-purity inorganic nanocoatings on surfaces of complex shape and topography, while also providing precise control over their thickness and composition. ALD has various industrial applications, but its practical application in medicine is still limited. In recent years, a considerable number of papers have been published on the proposed use of thin films and coatings produced via ALD in medicine, notably those with antibacterial properties. The aim of this paper is to carefully evaluate and analyze the relevant literature on this topic. Simple oxide coatings, including TiO₂, ZnO, Fe₂O₃, MgO, and ZrO₂, were examined, as well as coatings containing metal nanoparticles such as Ag, Cu, Pt, and Au, and mixed systems such as TiO₂-ZnO, TiO₂-ZrO₂, ZnO-Al₂O₃, TiO₂-Ag, and ZnO-Ag. Through comparative analysis, we have been able to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of various antibacterial coatings of different compositions, including key characteristics such as thickness, morphology, and crystal structure. The use of ALD in the development of antibacterial coatings for various applications was analyzed. Furthermore, assumptions were made about the most promising areas of development. The final section provides a comparison of different coatings, as well as the advantages, disadvantages, and prospects of using ALD for the industrial production of antibacterial coatings.

Bacterial infections have accompanied humanity throughout its history and became vitally important in the pandemic area. The most pathogenic bacteria are multidrug-resistant strains, which have become widespread due to their natural biological response to the use of antibiotics, including uncontrolled use. The current challenge is finding highly effective antibacterial agents of natural origin, which, however, have low solubility and consequently poor bioavailability. Curcumin, derived from Curcuma longa, is an example of a natural biologically active agent with a wide spectrum of biological effects, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. However, curcumin exhibits extremely low antibacterial activity against Gram-negative bacteria. Curcumin’s hydrophobicity limits its use in medicine. As such, various polymeric systems have been used, especially biopolymer-based electrospun nanofibers. In the present study, the technological features of the fabrication of curcumin-loaded hyaluronic acid-based nanofibers are discussed in detail, their morphological characteristics, wettability, physico-chemical properties, and curcumin release profiles are demonstrated, and their antibacterial activity against multi-drug resistant ESKAPE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Enterobacter species) are evaluated. It is noteworthy that the fibers containing a stable HA–curcumin complex showed high antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, which is an undeniable advantage. It is expected that the results of this work will contribute to the development of antibacterial drugs for topical and internal use with high efficacy and considerably lower side effects.

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a useful tool for producing ultrathin films and coatings of complex composition with high thickness control for a wide range of applications. In this study, the growth of zinc–titanium oxide nanofilms was investigated. Diethyl zinc, titanium tetrachloride, and water were used as precursors. The supercycle approach was used, and wide ZnO/TiO₂ (ZTO) ALD cycles were prepared: 5/1, 3/1, 2/1, 1/1, 1/2, 1/3, 1/5, 1/10, 1/20. Spectral ellipsometry, X-ray reflectometry, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, SEM-EDX, and contact angle measurements were used to characterize the thickness, morphology, and composition of the films. The results show that the thicknesses of the coatings differ considerably from those calculated using the rule of mixtures. At high ZnO/TiO₂ ratios, the thickness is much lower than expected and with increasing titanium oxide content the thickness increases significantly. The surface of the ZTO samples contains a significant amount of chlorine in the form of zinc chloride and an excessive amount of titanium. The evaluation of the antibacterial properties showed significant activity of the ZTO–1/1 sample against antibiotic-resistant strains and no negative effect on the morphology and adhesion of human mesenchymal stem cells. These results suggest that by tuning the surface composition of ALD-derived ZTO samples, it may be possible to obtain a multi-functional material for use in medical applications.

The previously reported as well as newly synthesized derivatives of the 1-oxa-9-azaspiro[5.5]undecane were employed in the synthesis of thirty-six derivatives of ciprofloxacin using commercially available 7-chloro-1-cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-4-oxo-1,4-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylic acid and the literature protocol involving the preparation of boron chelate complex to facilitate nucleophilic aromatic substitution. All new fluoroquinolone derivatives were tested against two gram-positive as well as three gram-negative strains of bacteria. With the activity spectrum of the new derivatives being substantially narrower than that of ciprofloxacin, compounds were distinctly active against two of the five strains: gram-negative Acinetobacter baumannii 987^® and gram-positive Bacillus cereus 138^®. Towards these two strains, a large group of compounds displayed equal or higher potency than ciprofloxacin.

In recent years, antibacterial coatings have become a significant approach in the global fight against bacterial pathogens. Developments in materials science, chemistry and biochemistry have led to a plethora of materials and chemical compounds that have potential for creating antibacterial coatings. Nonetheless, there has been insufficient consideration given to the analysis of the techniques and technologies used to apply these coatings. Among the various inorganic coating techniques, Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is noteworthy. It enables the successful synthesis of high-purity inorganic nanocoatings on surfaces of complex shape and topography, while also providing precise control over their thickness and composition. ALD has various industrial applications, but its practical application in medicine is still limited. In recent years, a substantial number of papers have been published on the suggested implementation of thin films and coatings produced through ALD in medicine, notably those with antibacterial properties. The aim of this paper is to carefully evaluate and analyse the relevant literature on this subject. Simple oxide coatings, including TiO2, ZnO, Fe2O3, MgO, and ZrO2, were examined, as well as coatings containing metal nanoparticles such as Ag, Cu, Pt, and Au, and mixed systems such as TiO2-ZnO, TiO2-ZrO2, ZnO-Al2O3, TiO2-Ag, and ZnO-Ag. Through comparative analysis, we have been able to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of various antibacterial coatings of different compositions, including key characteristics such as thickness, morphology, and crystal structure. ALD has been analysed in its use for developing antibacterial coatings for various applications. Furthermore, assumptions regarding the most promising development areas have been presented.