ABSTRACT
Introduction ...................................................................................................... 45 Silane quaternary ammonium compounds .................................................. 46 Microbial surfaces ............................................................................................ 48 Association of microorganisms to surfaces .................................................. 49 Antimicrobial activity ...................................................................................... 51 Antimicrobial activity in the prevention of biofilm formation using quaternary amine organofunctional silane technology (Si-Quat) ........... 52 Performance history of silane-based quaternary amine technology ........ 52 Control of biofilm attachment ........................................................................ 54 References .......................................................................................................... 56
Introduction There are many ways to modify surfaces so that they are less receptive to settling attachment and colonization of microorganisms, or to make such modifications so that microorganisms contacting such surfaces are inhibited or killed or more easily cleaned away. Work with altering surface energies, removing chemical bonding sites by choice of materials or alteration of the surfaces with coatings or similar mollification of the bond sites, providing smooth surfaces to make settling attachment more difficult, producing red-ox surfaces, providing for electrical current transmission or other electrochemical events, and having sacrificial oils or ablative coatings have all been done.
