[nanoPost] Anti-microbial/corrosion coatings

Based on their recent water technology research, the group has been able to effectively utilize metal-phosphonate coatings for corrosion inhibition of carbon steel. There is a plethora of phosphonate additives that possess both anionic and cationic charges (they are called zwitterions). The anionic groups are used to coordinate to metal ions and thus form "thin film precipitates" on the surface to be protected. The cationic groups will remain free and could potentially be utilized for microbiological growth control. Cationic biocides are well known for bulk microbiological control in process waters (also known as "quats").

Nothing so far has been investigated along the lines of applying their effective bulk microbiological control abilities, on surfaces in order to combat biofilms. Combining the good filming properties of a variety of metal-phosphonates and their potential efficiency in biofilm control may be powerful: it may prove a dual