Nonfouling Surfaces Research Articles

110th Anniversary: Fast and Easy-to-Use Method for Coating Tissue Culture Polystyrene Surfaces with Nonfouling Copolymers To Prevent Cell Adhesion

Synthetic substrates able to prevent the adhesion of cells, commonly referred to as nonfouling surfaces, are useful in a wide range of applications, including the culture of multicellular spheroids and the engineering of complex cell sheets. Nonfouling properties are commonly conferred to surfaces through superhydrophilic polymer-based coatings. At the same time, this type of treatment requires difficult, expensive, and time-consuming procedures, leading to high prices of the final product. In this perspective, the development of quick single-step methods to coat surfaces with nonfouling polymers would dramatically reduce the costs and increase the flexibility of such products. Moreover, this strategy would enable the process to be carried out directly by the end user. In this work, we report a fast and easy-to-use coating method to prevent the nonspecific adhesion of cells on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) surfaces. Our approach is based on the adsorption of poly(styrene-co-3-sulfopropyl methacrylate) copolymers comprising nonfouling hydrophilic moieties as well as functionalities that enhance the polymer adhesion to the substrate. The polymer adsorption is obtained from an aqueous mixture with a procedure that can be conveniently performed in short time. The kinetic of polymer adsorption as well as the effect of the polymer concentration was studied in order to reduce the time and cost of the entire procedure. Additionally, the polymer composition and the polymer density were optimized to completely avoid the adhesion of three different adherent cell lines, that is, CHO, A375-P, and HFF-1 cells.

Printed Highly Ordered Conductive Polymer Nanowires Doped with Biotinylated Polyelectrolytes for Biosensing Applications

AbstractThe demand for fast and ultratrace biomarkers detection is increasing in bioanalytical chemistry. In this work, highly ordered nanowires array and sensor integration are achieved with nanoscale printing approach. Negatively charged poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene)–poly(styrenesulfonate) doped with positively charged PEGylated biotin‐derivatized polyelectrolytes results a direct biofunctionalization on the nanowire surface without multiple postmodification steps. It provides homogeneous dispersed biofunctional sites and nonfouling surface on the nanowires. The ordered nanowires array enables the immunosensor to detect biotargets quickly and ultrasensitively. The nanowires impedimetric immunosensor is demonstrated for specific biomarkers detection and achieved a minimum responsive concentration as low as 10 pg mL−1 for protein biomarker and 10 CFU mL−1 for pathogen.

Temperature-Activated PEG Surface Segregation Controls the Protein Repellency of Polymers.

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is widely used to modulate the hydration states of biomaterials and is often applied to produce nonfouling surfaces. Here, we present X-ray scattering data, which show that it is the surface segregation of PEG, not just its presence in the bulk, that makes this happen by influencing the hydrophilicity of PEG-containing substrates. We demonstrate a temperature-dependent trigger that transforms a PEG-containing substrate from a protein-adsorbing to a protein-repelling state. On films of poly(desaminotyrosyl-tyrosine-co-PEG carbonate) with high (20 wt %) PEG content, in which very little protein adsorption is expected, quartz crystal microbalance data showed significant adsorption of fibrinogen and bovine serum albumin at 8 °C. The surface became protein-repellent at 37.5 °C. When the same polymer was iodinated, the polymer was protein-adsorbent, even when 37 wt % PEG was incorporated into the polymer backbone. This demonstrates that high PEG content by itself is not sufficient to repel proteins. By inhibiting phase separation either with iodine or by lowering the temperature, we show that PEG must phase-separate and bloom to the surface to create an antifouling surface. These results suggest an opportunity to design materials with high PEG content that can be switched from a protein-attractant to a protein-repellent state by inducing phase separation through brief exposure to temperatures above their glass transition temperature.

Antibacterial response of polylactide surfaces modified with hydrophilic polymer brushes

Ultrathin polymeric films may completely change in their surface properties from bacteria loving to bacteria repelling which are essential for creating non-fouling surfaces. The covalent modifications of biodegradable polylactide (PLA) surface with alkyl bromide initiator followed by immobilization of three different types of polymers having potential antibacterial effects, i.e., poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), Poly(2-[(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride) (PMETA) and poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (PPEGMA) were successfully conducted using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) technique. High initiator density (1.72 initiator/nm2) on PLA surface determined by XPS led to the formation of smooth polymer brush as shown by AFM images which were further characterized by FTIR and contact angle measurement. Though linear brush growth was observed irrespective of monomers employed, ‘grafting yield’ was found to be highest for PHEMA brush (22.2 µg cm−2 at 6 h) under similar conditions indicating its high activity in the presence of efficient catalytic system. Finally, the antibacterial response of these brushes was evaluated against both gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli) bacteria and PMETA modified PLA surface was found to exhibit the highest inhibition of bacterial adhesion (> 97% for S. aureus). The novelty lies in the generation of polymer brushes with excellent antibacterial property onto biodegradable polylactide surface. The potential uses of these modified surfaces would include biomedical devices, food packaging, etc.

In vitro and in vivo hemocompatibility assessment of ultrathin sulfobetaine polymer coatings for silicon-based implants.

Highly uniform silicon nanopore membranes were developed for applications in implantable bioartificial organs. A robust, readily scalable, non-fouling surface coating is required to enhance silicon nanopore membrane hemocompatibility. However, the coating must be ultrathin to keep the nanopores from occluding. Recently, zwitterionic brush polymers have demonstrated significantly lower fouling under biological conditions. In this study, we explore ultrathin zwitterionic poly(sulfobetaine methacrylate) (pSBMA) surface coating at sub-5 nm thickness. Membrane hydraulic permeability was measured before and after surface modification of silicon nanopore membranes, and pores were found to be patent and in agreement with coating thickness measurements. Coating stability was analyzed under biological shear as well as under blood flow in vitro and in vivo. Following exposure to shear over 24 h, coatings were characterized via X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, goniometry, and ellipsometry, and found to survive biological shear. In vitro blood experiments with fresh human blood as well as in vivo 7-day and 26-day implants in a porcine model demonstrate minimal platelet adhesion and activation with pSBMA surface modification compared to unmodified silicon exposed to fresh human blood in vitro. These results demonstrate that ultrathin pSBMA surface modification is a viable choice for application in blood contacting implants with critical nanoscale features.

Active Release of an Antimicrobial and Antiplatelet Agent from a Nonfouling Surface Modification

Two major challenges faced by medical devices are thrombus formation and infection. In this work, surface-tethered nitric oxide (NO)-releasing molecules are presented as a solution to combat infection and thrombosis. These materials possess a robust NO release capacity lasting ca. 1 month while simultaneously improving the nonfouling nature of the material by preventing platelet, protein, and bacteria adhesion. NO's potent bactericidal function has been implemented by a facile surface covalent attachment method to fabricate a triple-action coating-surface-immobilized S-nitroso- N-acetylpenicillamine (SIM-S). Comparison of NO loading amongst the various branching configurations is shown through the NO release kinetics over time and the cumulative NO release. Biological characterization is performed using in vitro fibrinogen and Staphylococcus aureus assays. The material with the highest NO release, SIM-S2, is also able to reduce protein adhesion by 65.8 ± 8.9% when compared to unmodified silicone. SIM-S2 demonstrates a 99.99% (i.e., ∼4 log) reduction for S. aureus over 24 h. The various functionalized surfaces significantly reduce platelet adhesion in vitro, for both NO-releasing and non-NO-releasing surfaces (up to 89.1 ± 0.9%), demonstrating the nonfouling nature of the surface-immobilized functionalities. The ability of the SIM-S surfaces to retain antifouling properties despite gradual depletion of the bactericidal source, NO, demonstrates its potential use in long-term medical implants.

Direct immobilization of sugar probes on bovine serum albumin-coated gold substrate for the development of glycan biosensors.

Glycan biosensors based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) spectroscopy have attracted a great deal of interest due to their potential applications in numerous biological and biomedical fields. Controlled immobilization of sugar probes on a gold substrate is believed to be critical for the performance of these SPR biosensors. In this regard, herein the authors report a direct coupling of mannose probes with bovine serum albumin (BSA) layer on the gold substrate via a squaric acid-mediated reaction under mild conditions, in which the BSA layer provides not only reactive amine groups but also a nonfouling surface property. SPR measurements show that the resultant biosensor with an appropriate amount of mannose probes exhibits high affinity to its corresponding lectin (i.e., concanavalin A) and at the same time could resist nonspecific adsorption of other lectins. The limit of detection of the current SPR biosensor is 1.9 nM. Thus, the squaric acid-mediated immobilization strategy appears to be effective and useful for the fabrication of bioanalytical devices.

Scratch resistant non-fouling surfaces via grafting non-fouling polymers on the pore walls of supported porous oxide structures

Non-fouling polymer films have a wide application potential spanning the areas of biotechnology, smart implants and submerse maritime surfaces. The films reported hitherto are, however, ultrathin and lack the mechanical strength and scratch resistance that could qualify them for technological applications. Herein we report on non-fouling polymer nanofilms that are grafted onto the pore walls of supported porous oxide structures that confer to them the lacking scratch resistance. We use two kinds of supported porous oxides. For transparent non-fouling nanocomposites with potential applications for displays and as windows for submerse optical sensors, we take advantage of supported anodized aluminium oxide (AAO) on glass while for potential medical applications requiring non-fouling properties TiO2 nanotubes on titanium sheets are used. Because the porous structures possess a huge effective surface area, a high grafting density can be expected with positive impact on the properties. The process involves Atom transfer radical polymerization for the polymerization of non-fouling poly(oligo ethyleneglycol) methylether methacrylate brushes. As a linker molecule an amino-silane is evaporated into the porous structures using chemical vapour deposition. The non-fouling properties are demonstrated on patterned surfaces using both FTIC labelled BSA and adherent fibroblast cells. Scratch resistance is also demonstrated.

Low-Fouling Thin Hydrogel Coatings Made of Photo-Cross-Linked Polyzwitterions.

Although zwitterionic chemistries are among the most promising materials for producing nonfouling surfaces, their structural diversity has been low until now. Here, we compare the in vitro fouling behavior of a set of four systematically varied sulfa-/sulfobetaine-containing zwitterionic hydrogel coatings against a series of proteins and nonmotile as well as motile marine organisms as model foulers. The coatings are prepared by simultaneous photoinduced cross-linking and surface anchoring to elucidate the effect of the molecular structure of the zwitterionic moieties on their antifouling activity. Analogously prepared coatings of poly(butyl methacrylate) and poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) serve as references. Photoreactive polymers are synthesized by the statistical copolymerization of sulfobetaine or sulfabetaine methacrylates and methacrylamides with a benzophenone derivative of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate and are applied as a thin film coating. While keeping the density of the zwitterionic and cross-linker groups constant, the molecular structure of the zwitterionic side chains is varied systematically, as is the arrangement of the ion pairs in the side chain by changing the classical linear geometry to a novel Y-shaped geometry. All of the polyzwitterions strongly reduce fouling compared to poly(butyl methacrylate). Overall, the sulfabetaine polyzwitterion coatings studiedmatches the high antifouling effectiveness of oligo(ethylene glycol)-based ones used as a control. Nevertheless, performances varied individually for a given pair of polymer and fouler. The case of the polysulfobetaines exemplifies that minor chemical changes in the polymer structure affect the antifouling performance markedly. Accordingly, the antifouling performance of such polymers cannot be correlated simply to the type of zwitterion used (which could be generally ranked as better performing or poorer performing) but is a result of the polymer's precise chemical structure. Our findings underline the need to enlarge the existing structural diversity of polyzwitterions for antifouling purposes to optimize the potential of their chemical structure.

Structure and Functionality of Polyelectrolyte Brushes: A Surface Force Perspective.

The unique functionality of polyelectrolyte brushes depends on several types of specific interactions, including solvent structure effects, hydrophobic forces, electrostatic interactions, and specific ion interactions. Subtle variations in the solution environment can lead to conformational and surface structural changes of the polyelectrolyte brushes, which are mainly discussed from a surface-interaction perspective in this Focus Review. A brief overview is given of recent theoretical and experimental progress in the structure of polyelectrolyte brushes in various environments. Two important techniques for surface-force measurements are described, the surface forces apparatus (SFA) and atomic force microscopy (AFM), and some recent results on polyelectrolyte brushes are shown. Lastly, this Focus Review highlights the use of these surface-grafted polyelectrolyte brushes in the creation of functional surfaces for various applications, including nonfouling surfaces, boundary lubricants, and stimuli-responsive surfaces.

Ultralow Fouling and Functionalizable Surface Chemistry Based on Zwitterionic Carboxybetaine Random Copolymers.

Here, we report a simple yet effective surface-modification approach to imparting hydrophobic surfaces with superhydrophilicity using ultralow fouling/functionalizable carboxybetaine (CB) copolymers via a dip-coating technique. A new series of CB random copolymers with varying amphiphilicities were synthesized and coated on hydrophobic polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) surfaces. The nonfouling capability of each coating was screened by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and further comprehensively assessed against 100% human serum by a Micro BCA protein assay kit. The random copolymer containing ∼30 mol % CB units showed superhydrophilicity with the highest air contact angle of more than 165° in DI water and the best nonfouling capability against 100% human blood serum. Surfaces of a 96-well plate coated with the optimal CB random copolymer had a significantly better nonfouling capability than those of a commercial 96-well plate with an ultralow attachment surface. The adhesion of mouse embryonic fibroblast cells (NIH3T3) was completely inhibited on surfaces coated with CB random copolymers. Furthermore, the optimal nonfouling CB copolymer surface was functionalized with an antigen via covalent bonding where its specific interactions with its antibody were verified. Thus, this CB random copolymer is capable of imparting both ultralow fouling and functionalizable capabilities to hydrophobic surfaces for blood-contacting devices.

Fibrinogen adsorption to biomaterials.

Fibrinogen (Fg) adsorption is an important mechanism underlying cell adhesion to biomaterials and was the major focus of the author's research career. This article summarizes our work on Fg adsorption, with citations of related work as appropriate. The molecular properties of Fg that promote adsorption and cell adhesion will be described. In addition, the adsorption behavior of Fg from buffer, binary solutions with other proteins, and blood plasma will be discussed, including the Vroman effect. Studies of platelet adhesion to surfaces preadsorbed with blood plasmas selectively deficient in Fg, vitronectin (Vn), fibronectin (Fn), or von Willebrand's factor (vWf) will be reviewed. These studies clearly showed a major role for Fg in platelet adhesion under static conditions and both Fg and vWf for adhesion from flowing suspensions, but no significant role for Vn or Fn. However, it was also shown that platelet adhesion was poorly correlated with the total amount of adsorbed Fg, but very well correlated with the binding of antibodies specific to the cell binding domains of Fg. A brief overview of nonfouling surfaces for prevention of Fg adsorption will be given. A more extensive discussion of structural changes in Fg after its adsorption is included, including changes detected with both physicochemical and biological methods. A short discussion of the state of the art of structural determination of adsorbed proteins with computational methods is also given. A final section identifies Fg adsorption as the single most important event determining the biocompatibility of implants in soft tissue and in blood. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 106A: 2777-2788, 2018.

Fast preparation of biopassive nonfouling coatings on cellulose

The microbial infection as a result of biofilm formation is a serious problem in various fields of application in the paper industry including fouling of filters in air conditioning systems, wallpaper, medical and food packaging as well as ancient documents. In this study, we document a highly nonfouling surface coating formed by a functional copolymer consisting of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine, as a zwitterionic and cell repellent component, and 4-benzophenyl methacrylate, acting as an anchor group for a fast UV-induced persistent covalent attachment on thin cellulose model films deposited on silicon wafers. The grafting process, studied by UV–Vis spectroscopy, is much faster in comparison with common grafting-to techniques. The obtained sustainable and nonleaching surface coatings were analyzed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, contact angle measurements, spectroscopic in situ ellipsometry, and atomic force microscopy. Incubation of the modified cellulose surfaces with either Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis or Saccharomyces cerevisiae demonstrates that the zwitterionic polymer functionalization has substantial nonfouling capacity against both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria as well as the yeast fungus.

From neutral to zwitterionic poly(α-amino acid) nonfouling surfaces: Effects of helical conformation and anchoring orientation

The development of high-performance nonfouling polymer surfaces for implantable medical devices and therapeutic nanomaterials is of great importance. Elaborating the relationship of polymer structural characteristics and the resulted surface properties can offer useful guidance toward ideal biointerfaces. In this work, we investigate the effects of the helical conformation and anchoring orientation of poly(α-amino acid)s (PαAAs) to produce advanced nonfouling surfaces. By using the neutral poly(γ-(2-(2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethoxy)ethoxy)esteryl glutamates) (P(EG3Glu)s) as a model system, the adsorption kinetics are monitored by ex-situ variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry and in-situ quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation. It is found that the polymers adopting a rigid rod-like α-helical conformation can self-assemble more rapidly to produce denser adlayers, and generate significantly improved nonfouling surfaces compared to those flexible polymer analogues including the widely used antifouling polymer PEG. Moreover, the surface properties can be further enhanced by using the antiparallel orientated helical P(EG3Glu)s. Most importantly, the insights gained from the P(EG3Glu) model system are successfully applied to the generation of ultra-low-fouling surfaces using zwitterionic PαAAs brushes, underscoring the generality of the approach. Particularly, the surface based on the antiparallel aligned zwitterionic helical PαAAs exhibits ∼98-99% reduction of human serum adsorption relative to the bare gold, and gives almost no adhesion of mouse platelet. Taken together, this work depicts an extremely simple yet highly effective approach to manipulate surface properties for numerous applications in biomaterial interfaces, diagnostics, and biosensors.

Critical Study of the Recognition between C-Reactive Protein and Surface-Immobilized Phosphorylcholine by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation.

C-reactive protein (CRP), a biomarker for cardiovascular disease, has been reported to have a strong affinity to zwitterionic phosphorylcholine (PC) groups in the presence of calcium ions. In addition, PC-immobilized surfaces have been used as a nonfouling coating to prevent nonspecific protein binding. By appropriately using the features of PC-immobilized surfaces, including specific recognition to CRP and nonfouling surface, it is reasonable to create an antibody-free biosensor for the specific capture of CRP. In this study, PC-functionalized 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) monomers were used to prepare PC-immobilized surfaces. The density of PC groups on the surface can be fine-tuned by changing the composition of the monomer solutions for the electropolymerization. The density of PC group was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The specific interaction of CRP with PC groups was monitored by using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D). The amount of protein binding could be estimated by the reduction in frequency readout. Through the QCM-D measurement, we revealed the nonfouling property and the specific CRP capture from our PC-immobilized surfaces. Notably, the dissipation energy also dropped during the binding process between CRP and PC, indicating the release of water molecules from the PC groups during CRP adsorption. We anticipate that surface-bound water molecules are mainly released from areas near the immobilized PC groups. Based on Hofmeister series, we further examined the influence of ions by introducing four different anions including both kosmotrope (order maker) and chaotrope (disorder maker) into the buffer for the CRP binding test. The results showed that the concentration and the type of anions play an important role in CRP binding. The present fundamental study reveals deep insights into the recognition between CRP and surface-immobilized PC groups, which can facilitate the development of CRP sensing platforms.

Surface-adaptive zwitterionic nanoparticles for prolonged blood circulation time and enhanced cellular uptake in tumor cells.

Herein we demonstrate a general strategy to integrate non-fouling zwitterionic surface on the nanoparticles without compromising their capability of tumor accumulation, by constructing a surface-adaptive mixed-shell micelles (MSMs) with poly(2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (PMPC)/poly(β-amino ester) (PAE) heterogeneous surfaces. At the blood pH (7.4), PAE chains collapsed to the inner of the shell due to the deprotonation, and the forming micro-phase separation structure was synergistic with zwitterionic surface to prolong the circulation time of MSMs in the blood. While at the tumor sites, PAE was protonated, and the positively charged surface of MSMs enhanced cellular uptake. This self-assembly-based strategy is compatible to other zwitterionic materials, endowing a great flexibility for the construction of responsive drug delivery systems particularly to the novel chemotherapeutic agents.

Antifouling Stripes Prepared from Clickable Zwitterionic Copolymers.

In this study, we have fabricated robust patterned surfaces that contain biocompatible and antifouling stripes, which cause microorganisms to consolidate into bare silicon spaces. Copolymers of methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and a methacrylate-substituted dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) were spin-coated onto silicon substrates. The MPC units contributed biocompatibility and antifouling properties, and the DHLA units enabled cross-linking and the formation of robust thin films. Photolithography enabled the formation of 200-μm-wide poly(MPC-DHLA) stripped patterns that were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and rhodamine 6G staining. Regardless of the spacing between poly(MPC-DHLA) stripes (10, 50, or 100 μm), Escherichia coli rapidly adhered to the bare silicon gaps that lacked the copolymer, confirming the antifouling nature of MPC. Overall, this work provides a surface modification strategy for generating alternating biofouling and nonfouling surface structures that are potentially applicable for researchers studying cell biology, drug screening, and biosensor technology.

Nanocomposite Films of Laponite/PEG-Grafted Polymers and Polymer Brushes with Nonfouling Properties.

We explore the suitability of nanocomposite thin films based on laponite nanomaterial and grafted antiadhesive polymers as transparent nonfouling surfaces. For this purpose, two polymers were chosen: a linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) silane, 2-[methoxy(polyethyleneoxy)propyl]-trimethoxysilane), and thermoresponsive poly(oligo ethylene glycol)-methyl ether-methacrylate (POEGMA) brushes. PEG silane was grafted on the laponite nanoparticles in solution yielding homogeneous and transparent thin films via a dip coating procedure on glass and silicon substrates. POEGMA was grafted on laponite-(3-Aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) nanocomposite films that were processed similarly to PEG-silane using atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Film characterization with, among others, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) attests to successful grafting of the polymers to the laponite nanoparticles. In particular, evidence of basal plane expansion of laponite with increasing silane concentration are obtained using XRD, while patent morphological changes are revealed with AFM. The results are discussed in terms of the different grafting sites on laponite and compared with literature. While LP-PEG-silane is easily applied to a surface from a precursor solution via a dip coating procedure LP-APTMS-OEGMA requires lots more chemicals, a thorough control of reaction parameters, and longer reaction time in order to generate films with the desirable properties. We therefore also addressed the antifouling properties of the films. These were tested together with control samples of bare glass and laponite thin films for 30 days in an algae container. More tests were conducted with fibroblast cell cultures. Our preliminary results show that grafting of PEG containing polymers and polymer brushes alters the properties of the laponite films from fouling to nonfouling surfaces. As a first estimate, the adhesion of particles (diatoms, algae, etc.) to surfaces is reduced by approximately 85% in the case of LP-PEG-silane and up to 92% in the case of LP-APTMS-POEGMA, in comparison to the control surfaces. Furthermore, practically no cell adhesion on such surfaces could be observed.

Pursuing Ultra-Low VWF Adsorption for Blood-Contacting Devices Under Shear

Many human diseases are treated with blood-contacting medical devices. These devices, which include artificial lung and heart machines and extracorporeal membrane oxygenators (ECMO), save or extend many lives every year. However, the devices are often compromised because of blood proteins that accumulate on their surfaces. Such accumulation activates both platelet activation and blood coagulation, and patients supported by blood-contacting devices are at high risk of both bleeding and clotting. Attempts have been made to create nonfouling surfaces, and many have in fact have been produced that resist fouling by plasma when tested under non-flow conditions. However, blood passing through medical devices is often subjected to high shear stresses (especially near surfaces) and flow acceleration, conditions that we have shown promote rapid deposition of the large plasma glycoprotein von Willebrand factor (VWF) onto uncoated plastic surfaces. VWF normally functions to initiate platelet attachment at sites of vessel injury. Thus, its adsorption to artificial surfaces under shear is likely to initiate platelet binding and the adsorption of other plasma proteins, including clotting proteins. We sought to create a surface that achieves ultra-low (< 5 ng/cm2) VWF adsorption under shear, which we anticipate will prevent further protein adsorption and solve the problem of blood and platelet deposition at its initiation.To achieve this objective, we synthesized polymers from the zwitterion sulfobetaine methacrylate (polySBMA) based on published methods. Dopamine was used as the linker between polySBMA and the commonly used materials for devices, resulting in the direct attachment of the polymer to the surface in one step. A more uniform coating of the polymer on certain hydrophobic surfaces was achieved using a mixed solvent of methanol and water. Various coating conditions for polySBMA were tested, including variations in buffer type, salt concentration, polymer concentration, polymer/dopamine ratio, and methanol/water ratio. Eppendorf polypropylene tubes were incubated overnight with polySBMA solution, washed, and then exposed to a VWF solution under shear in a vortexer (3000 rpm, at RT for 90 min). We compared VWF adsorption in the polySBMA-coated PP tubes to adsorption in uncoated tubes. VWF adsorption to tubes coated under optimal conditions was 4% of the adsorption to uncoated tubes, with a VWF surface density below 2 ng/cm2. This coating condition was used for subsequent studies.We next tested the stability of the polySBMA coating after long-term storage. Coated tubes were stored in PBS at 4°C for 1, 4, 7, 28, and 42 days and the integrity of the surface-bound polymers was then examined by evaluating the ability of the stored tubes to resist VWF deposition and comparing their performance to that of freshly coated tubes. Coated tubes stored up to 6 weeks retained their resistance to VWF adsorption under shear (less than 5 ng/cm2), indicating the long-term resilience of the polySBMA coating.To mimic shear stress conditions of blood vessels in capillary, venous, and arterial flow, we used a perfusion system in which a pump (ibidi) generates different flow patterns (continuous unidirectional, oscillating, or pulsatile flow) and shear stresses. Surfaces within the perfusion system were coated with polySBMA to minimize VWF loss. Additional polypropylene test tubing (50 cm long), uncoated or polySBMA-coated, was connected to the perfusion system between two connecters. Purified VWF (2.5 µg/mL in PBS) was perfused through this system for 1 hr. The VWF remaining in the solution was measured by ELISA after the prescribed perfusion period, and multimer composition was compared before and after perfusion. The VWF concentration decreased by 74.1% with uncoated tubing after 1 hr at 20 dyn/cm2, with selective depletion of large VWF multimers. By contrast, in the polySBMA-coated tubing the concentration and multimer composition of VWF was unchanged under identical conditions.In summary, polySBMA effectively prevented VWF adsorption under shear in two types of experiments, and was stable during storage. We expect this coating to significantly enhance the lifetime of blood-contacting devices and reduce both costs and medical complications. DisclosuresNo relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

Fabrication of nonfouling, bactericidal, and bacteria corpse release multifunctional surface through surface-initiated RAFT polymerization.

Infections after surgery or endophthalmitis are potentially blinding complications caused by bacterial adhesion and subsequent biofilm formation on the intraocular lens. Neither single-function anti-adhesion surface nor contacting killing surface can exhibit ideal antibacterial function. In this work, a novel (2-(dimethylamino)-ethyl methacrylate-co-2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) (p (DMAEMA-co-MPC)) brush was synthesized by “grafting from” method through reversible–addition fragmentation chain transfer polymerization. 1-Bromoheptane was used to quaternize the p (DMAEMA-co-MPC) brush coating and to endow the surface with bactericidal function. The success of the surface functionalization was confirmed by atomic force microscopy, water contact angle, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The quaternary ammonium salt units were employed as efficient disinfection that can eliminate bacteria through contact killing, whereas the 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine units were introduced to suppress unwanted nonspecific adsorption. The functionalized poly(dimethyl siloxane) surfaces showed efficiency in reducing bovine serum albumin adsorption and in inhibiting bacteria adhesion and biofilm formation. The copolymer brushes also demonstrated excellent bactericidal function against gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus) bacteria measured by bacteria live/dead staining and shake-flask culture methods. The surface biocompatibility was evaluated by morphology and activity measurement with human lens epithelial cells in vitro. The achievement of the p (DMAEMA+-co-MPC) copolymer brush coating with nonfouling, bactericidal, and bacteria corpse release properties can be used to modify intraocular lenses.