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Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 1998, p. 3690-3697, Vol. 64, No. 10
0099-2240/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.

Ellipsometric Measurement of Bacterial Films at Metal-Electrolyte Interfaces

J. P. Busalmen,1 S. R. de Sánchez,1 and D. J. Schiffrin2,*

INTEMA, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, 7600 Mar del Plata, Argentina,1 and Chemistry Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, United Kingdom2

Received 7 May 1998/Accepted 10 August 1998

Ellipsometric measurements were used to monitor the formation of a bacterial cell film on polarized metal surfaces (Al-brass and Ti). Under cathodic polarization bacterial attachment was measured from changes in the ellipsometric angles. These were fitted to an effective medium model for a nonabsorbing bacterial film with an effective refractive index (nf) of 1.38 and a thickness (df) of 160 ± 10 nm. From the optical measurements a surface coverage of 17% was estimated, in agreement with direct microscopic observations. The influence of bacteria on the formation of oxide films was monitored by ellipsometry following the film growth in situ. A strong inhibition of metal oxide film formation was observed, which was assigned to the decrease in oxygen concentration due to the presence of bacteria. It is shown that the irreversible adhesion of bacteria to the surface can be monitored ellipsometrically. Electrophoretic mobility is proposed as one of the factors determining bacterial attachment. The high sensitivity of ellipsometry and its usefulness for the determination of growth of interfacial bacterial films is demonstrated.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Chemistry Department, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZD, United Kingdom. Phone: 44 151 794 3574. Fax: 44 151 794 3588. E-mail: d.j.schiffrin{at}liv.ac.uk.

Applied and Environmental Microbiology, October 1998, p. 3690-3697, Vol. 64, No. 10
0099-2240/98/$04.00+0
Copyright © 1998, American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.


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Copyright © 1998 by the American Society for Microbiology. All rights reserved.