Smart Surface Technologies for Combating Microbial Infections

The field of antimicrobial surface engineering has become a critical frontier in both infection microbiology and materials chemistry. Microbial contamination of surfaces—whether in clinical settings, industrial infrastructures, or healthcare devices—remains one of the major drivers of persistent infections and biofilm-associated diseases. Despite progress in disinfection and sterilization, conventional surface modifications are often limited by poor durability, environmental instability, or microbial resistance. The rise of smart surface technologies—such as stimuli-responsive, self-cleaning, and nanostructured coatings—offers new strategies to disrupt microbial adhesion, inhibit colonization, and prevent the establishment of pathogenic communities. Recent studies have demonstrated that surface architecture, chemical functionality, and physicochemical cues significantly influence microbial behavior, yet the full potential of these insights remains underexplored across biological and chemical disciplines. A deeper integration of infection biology with functional surface design is now essential to achieve coatings that are both biocompatible and capable of sustained antimicrobial activity.

This Research Topic aims to advance our understanding and development of smart surface technologies and advanced functional coatings that can prevent or mitigate microbial infections. It seeks to unite microbiologists, chemists, materials scientists, and biomedical engineers in exploring how surface chemistry, topography, and dynamic responses can influence microbial colonization and persistence. Key objectives include investigating novel antimicrobial mechanisms, characterizing surface–microbe interactions at multiple scales, and designing multifunctional coatings that combine both passive and active antimicrobial strategies. By bridging microbiology and materials innovation, this collection aspires to define the next generation of smart materials in infection control and microbial management.

To gather further insights at the interface of infection microbiology and chemical surface design, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

- Nanostructured and bioinspired interfaces for antimicrobial resistance control

- Stimuli-responsive and self-cleaning coatings targeting microbial adhesion

- Chemical modification and functionalization of surfaces for sustained antimicrobial effects

- Mechanisms of microbial sensing, attachment, and biofilm formation on engineered materials

- Integration of computational chemistry, biophysics, and imaging to model surface–microbe interactions

- Translational studies on medical device coatings and biocompatible antimicrobial materials

- Eco-friendly and sustainable approaches to surface sterilization and contamination prevention