Coating of Flexible PDMS Substrates through Matrix-Assisted Pulsed Laser Evaporation (MAPLE) with a New-Concept Biocompatible Graphenic Material

In this study, matrix-assisted pulsed laser evaporation (MAPLE) was used to deposit graphene-like materials (GL), a new class of biocompatible graphene-related materials (GRMs) obtained from a controlled top-down demolition of a carbon black, on silicone slices to test their potential use as functional coating on invasive medical devices as indwelling urinary catheters. Results indicate that the relevant chemical-physical features of the deposit (controlled by FTIR and AFM) were maintained after MAPLE deposition. After deposition, GL films underwent a biological survey toward target cellular lines (murine fibroblast NIH3T3, human keratinocytes HaCAT and the human cervical adenocarcinoma epithelial-like HeLa). Results indicate that the GL films did not lead to any perturbations in the different biological parameters evaluated. The presented results and the possibility to further functionalize the GL or combine them with other functional materials in a hybrid fashion to assure a tighter adhesion onto the substrate for use in harsh conditions open the door to practical applications of these new-concept medical devices (drug delivery, next generation flexible devices, multifunctional coatings) paving the way to the prevention of nosocomial infections driven by catheterization through antibiotics-free approaches.