Frontiers of Nanoscience

Antimicrobial coatings are a promising strategy to counteract the spreading of multidrug resistant pathogens through cross-contamination of surfaces. Coatings with nanostructured characteristics can exploit the different antimicrobial mechanisms of nanomaterials if the synthesis methods are able to tune the composition, morphology, and mechanical properties of the film. This chapter addresses the synthesis of antibacterial nanostructured coatings with a focus on physical synthesis methods. After a short description of the bacteria-NP interaction mechanism leading to killing of the cells, few examples of coatings obtained by magnetron sputtering and supersonic cluster beam deposition are discussed, with an emphasis on the possibility of combining different elements into the coating to widen the bactericidal spectrum.