Plasma-induced chemical and structural activation of 2D nanomaterial coatings for antibacterial surfaces

, with more than 90% bacterial inactivation achieved under optimised conditions. The antibacterial response arises from a combined effect of membrane destabilisation and intracellular oxidative stress, as evidenced by elevated reactive oxygen species levels, severe morphological disruption, and extensive chemical damage to lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids, captured by synchrotron macro attenuated total reflectance Fourier-transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) microspectroscopy and multivariate analysis. The plasma-induced modifications did not compromise mammalian cell compatibility, and fibroblast adhesion, morphology, and viability remained comparable to untreated controls. These results establish non-thermal plasma activation as a practical, solvent-free strategy for engineering chemically active 2D antibacterial surfaces and provide general guidelines for the design of next-generation antimicrobial coatings for implant and healthcare applications.