ZnO-Loaded Ion Track-Etched PET Films for Antibacterial Application

The ion track-etched (ITE) polymer films have emerged as a new porous material with unique features. In this work dip coating and roller coating methods were used to load ZnO nanoparticles into the ITE PET film to explore its antibacterial application. XRD, optical observation, SEM–EDX, and FT-IR analyses reveal that ZnO nanoparticles with the size of 100–350 nm can be more evenly and deeply distributed at the surface and into the pores of the PET film under the pressure in the roller coating process. The coated films are hydrophilic. The roller coated sample has a higher antibacterial ratio (> 85%), higher intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) level in Escherichia coli cells, and stronger biofilm inhibition ability. The ZnO-loaded ITE PET films would have antibacterial application in biomedical, food package, and other fields that require hygienic or sterile conditions.