An in situ silicone–silicone interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) with higher mechanical property, higher hydrophilicity, and lower protein adsorption

Abstract

As medical materials, silicone polymers are poor in mechanical properties and in resistance to fouling for its non-specific adsorption of proteins, cells, etc. This paper introduces a new type of silicone–silicone interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) composing of two curing reactions: One was radical coupled reaction, and the other was ring opening of epoxy by amino groups. The IPN were characterized by Fourier transform IR spectroscopy (FT-IR), dynamic mechanical analysis, cross section scanning electron microscope, and mechanical property. IPN structure could be formed in a co-continuous phase, while the sea–island phase could be also found up to amino content, and then tear strength and elongation at break were obviously increased. ATR FT-IR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and static water contact angles confirmed that IPN surfaces showed the hydrophilicity dependent on surface amino-epoxy component. The static water contact angles were greatly decreased to the lowest 69.3°. Both qualitative and quantitative bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption assay confirmed that, compared with pure polydimethylsiloxane, BSA adsorption on IPN substrates were greatly decreased, with the most 85%.