Salt-responsive polyzwitterionic materials for surface regeneration between switchable fouling and antifouling properties. (August 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Hong; Yang, Jintao; Xiao, Shengwei; Hu, Rundong; Bhaway, Sarang M.; Vogt, Bryan D.; Zhang, Mingzhen; Chen, Qiang; Ma, Jie; Chang, Yung; Li, Lingyan; Zheng, Jie
• Is Part Of: Acta biomaterialia. Volume 40(2016)
• Page Start: 62
• Page End: 69
• Publication Date: 2016-08
• Subjects: Zwitterionic materials -- Protein adsorption -- Bacterial attachment -- Antifouling -- Regenerative surface -- Stimuli-responsive; Biomedical materials -- Periodicals; 610.28
• DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2016.03.009
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1742-7061

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Abstract: Development of smart regenerative surface is a highly challenging but important task for many scientific and industrial applications. Specifically, very limited research efforts were made for surface regeneration between bio-adhesion and antifouling properties, because bioadhesion and antifouling are the two highly desirable but completely opposite properties of materials. Herein, we developed salt-responsive polymer brushes of poly(3-(1-(4-vinylbenzyl)-1H-imidazol-3-ium-3-yl) propane-1-sulfonate) (polyVBIPS), which can be switched reversibly and repeatedly between protein capture/release and surface wettability in a controllable manner. PolyVBIPS brush has demonstrated its switching ability to resist both protein adsorption from 100% blood plasma/serum and bacterial attachment in multiple cycles. PolyVBIPS brush also exhibits reversible surface wettability from ∼40° to 25° between in PBS and in 1 M NaCl solutions in multiple cycles. Overall, the salt-responsive behaviors of polyVBIPS brushes can be interpreted by the "anti-polyelectrolyte effect", i.e. polyVBIPS brushes adopt a collapsed chain conformation at low ionic strengths to achieve surface adhesive, but an extended chain conformation at high ionic strength to realize antifouling properties. We expect that polyVBIPS will provide a simple, robust, and promising system for the fabrication of smart surfaces with biocompatible, reliable, and regenerative properties. Statement of Significance: Unlike many materials with "one-time switching" capability for surface regeneration, we developed a new regenerative surface of zwitterionic polymer brush, which exhibits a reversible salt-induced switching property between a biomolecule-adhesive state and a biomolecule repellent state in complex media for multiple cycles. PolyVBIPS is easily synthesized and can be straightforward coated on the surface, which provides a simple, robust, and promising system for the fabrication of smart surfaces with biocompatible, reliable, regenerative properties.