20.500.12556/RUL-168483 Surface modification of stainless steel for enhanced antibacterial activity Stainless-steel grade 316L is widely used in medical and food processing applications due to its corrosion resistance and durability. However, its inherent lack of antibacterial properties poses a challenge in environments requiring high hygiene standards. This study investigates a novel surface modification approach combining electrochemical anodization and nonthermal plasma treatment to enhance the antibacterial efficacy of SS316L. The surface morphology, roughness, chemical composition, and wettability of the modified surfaces were systematically analyzed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), and water contact angle (WCA) measurements. SEM revealed the formation of tunable nanoporous structures with pore diameters ranging from 100 to 300 nm, depending on the applied anodizing voltage (40 and 60 V). AFM measurements demonstrated that surface roughness varied significantly with anodizing voltage, from 4.3 ± 0.4 nm at 40 V to 15.0 ± 0.6 nm at 60 V. XPS analysis confirmed the presence of Cr$_2$O$_3$, a key oxide for corrosion resistance, and revealed increased oxygen concentration after plasma treatment, indicating enhanced surface oxidation. Wettability studies showed that plasma treatment changed the surfaces to superhydrophilic, with WCAs below 5°. Antibacterial efficacy against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) was significantly improved, with plasma-treated samples exhibiting up to 92% reduction in bacterial adhesion. These results demonstrate that the combined anodization and plasma treatment process effectively enhances the antibacterial and surface properties of SS316L, making it a promising strategy for applications in medical and food processing industries. stainless-steel grade nonthermal plasma treatment antibacterial efficacy anodization bacteria plasma surface roughness X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy true false true Angleški jezik Ni določen Članek v reviji 2025-04-15 13:18:05 2025-04-15 13:18:06 2025-04-16 04:22:15 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 Str. 13361−13369 iss. 13 Vol. 10 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 621.7+621.9 2470-1343 10.1021/acsomega.4c11424 230771203 bencina-et-al-2025-surface-modification-of-stainless-steel-for-enhanced-antibacterial-activity.pdf bencina-et-al-2025-surface-modification-of-stainless-steel-for-enhanced-antibacterial-activity.pdf 1 3773043811C20C6ED88E323B30551C42 b414eff1eb4d9f77801f4a1e5c295ed9695f338221ecc7b292773259e2cefc91 8428b438-19ea-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=201994 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsomega.4c11424 0 3022407d-19ea-11f0-b232-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=201993 Fakulteta za elektrotehniko Medicinska fakulteta 0 0 0