Amphiphilic co-networks with moisture-induced surface segregation for high-performance nonfouling coatings

Herein we report the design of a photocurable amphiphilic co-network consisting of perfluoropolyether and poly(ethylene glycol) segments that display outstanding nonfouling characteristics with respect to spores of green fouling alga Ulva when cured under high humidity conditions. The analysis of contact angle hysteresis revealed that the poly(ethylene glycol) density at the surface was enhanced when cured under high humidity. The nonfouling behavior of nonbiocidal surfaces against marine fouling is rare because such surfaces usually reduce the adhesion of organisms rather than inhibit colonization. We propose that the resultant surface segregation of these materials induced by high humidity may be a promising strategy for achieving nonfouling materials, and such an approach is more important than simply concentrating poly(ethylene glycol) moieties at an interface because the low surface energy has been maintained in our work.     

Surface Modification of Polydimethylsiloxane Substrates with Nonfouling Poly(Poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate) Brushes

This contribution presents a new strategy to grow nonfouling poly (poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate) (PPEGMA) brushes from polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates. The strategy presented here is based on the use of a sequence of vapor deposition/hydrolysis cycles to generate a surface-confined atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP)-initiator functionalized interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) layer. In contrast to most other approaches that have been developed to graft thin polymer layers from PDMS substrates, this technique obviates the need for UV/ozone pretreatment of the PDMS substrate. It is shown that the surface-confined ATRP-initiator functionalized IPN layer can be used to grow PPEGMA brushes in a controlled fashion and that the resulting PPEGMA coating significantly reduces nonspecific protein adsorption as compared to unmodified PDMS substrates.     

Mussel-inspired anchoring for patterning cells using polydopamine

This Article introduces a simple method of cell patterning, inspired by the mussel anchoring protein. Polydopamine (PDA), artificial polymers made from self-polymerization of dopamine (a molecule that resembles mussel-adhesive proteins), has recently been studied for its ability to make modifications on surfaces in aqueous solutions. We explored the interfacial interaction between PDA and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) using microcontact printing (μCP). We patterned PDA on several substrates such as glass, polystyrene, and poly(dimethylsiloxane) and realized spatially defined anchoring of mammalian cells as well as bacteria. We applied our system in investigating the relationship between areas of mammalian nuclei and that of the cells. The combination of PDA and PEG enables us to make cell patterns on common laboratorial materials in a mild and convenient fashion.     

Integrated Antimicrobial and Nonfouling Zwitterionic Polymers

Zwitterionic polymers are generally viewed as a new class of nonfouling materials. Unlike their poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) counterparts, zwitterionic polymers have a broader chemical diversity and greater freedom for molecular design. In this Minireview, we highlight recent microbiological applications of zwitterionic polymers and their derivatives, with an emphasis on several unique molecular strategies to integrate antimicrobial and nonfouling properties. We will also discuss our insights into the bacterial nonfouling performance of zwitterionic polymers and one example of engineering zwitterionic polymer derivatives for antimicrobial wound‐dressing applications.     

High salt stability and protein resistance of poly(L-lysine)-g-poly(ethylene glycol) copolymers covalently immobilized via aldehyde plasma polymer interlayers on inorganic and polymeric substrates

The electrostatic adsorption onto charged surfaces of comb copolymers comprising a polyelectrolyte backbone and pendent PEG side chains, such as poly(l-lysine)-g-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG), has in previous studies provided protein-repellent thin coatings, particularly on metal oxide surfaces. A drawback of this approach is, however, the instability of such adsorbed layers under extreme pH values or high ionic strength. We have overcome this limitation in the present study by covalently immobilizing PLL-g-PEG copolymers onto aldehyde plasma-modified substrates. Silicon wafers, optical waveguide chips, and perfluorinated ethylene-co-propylene (FEP) polymer substrates were first coated with a thin plasma polymer layer using a propionaldehyde plasma, followed by covalent immobilization of PLL-g-PEG via reductive amination between amine groups of the PLL backbone with aldehyde groups on the plasma-deposited interlayer. The stability in high salt media and the protein resistance of different molecular architectures of immobilized PLL-g-PEG layers were quantitatively investigated by XPS, an optical waveguide technique (OWLS), and ToF-SIMS. The adsorption of bovine serum albumin was found to be below the detection limit (<2 ng/cm(2)), as for electrostatically adsorbed PLL-g-PEG layers. However, after 24 h of exposure of covalently immobilized layers of PLL-g-PEG to high ionic strength buffer (2400 mM NaCl), no significant change in the protein resistance was observed, whereas under the same conditions electrostatically adsorbed PLL-g-PEG coatings lost their protein resistance. Moreover, covalent immobilization via an aldehyde plasma interlayer enabled the application of PLL-g-PEG layers onto substrates such as FEP onto which electrostatic binding is not possible. These findings create a generic platform for the covalent immobilization of PLL-g-PEG onto a wide variety of substrates.     

Towards bilirubin imprinted poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate) for the specific binding of α-bilirubin

With α-bilirubin as a molecular template, polymerization of methacrylic acid (MAA) was carried out with the aid of the initiator 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) and the cross-linking agent ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate (EGDMA). Bulk polymerization was successfully carried out so that poly(methacrylic acid-co-ethylene glycol dimethylacrylate) (poly(MAA-EGDMA)) imprinted with α-bilirubin was first developed. UV irradiation polymerization and heated polymerization methods were compared. Effect of different ratios of monomer to EGDMA during the polymerization was also discussed. Proper solvent for better desorption of α-bilirubin from the imprinted poly(MAA-EGDMA) was investigated. In addition, SEM photos were provided for observing the differences between the surfaces of the imprinted poly(MAA-EGDMA) before and after extraction. The corresponding binding results of α-bilirubin imprinted poly(MAA-EGDMA) and non-imprinted poly(MAA-EGDMA) both after extraction were compared. How the pH values during extraction stage affected the binding capacities of the imprinted polymer as well as non-imprinted polymer were also discussed. Similar study and comparison were made for different binding pH values. Different compounds of similar molecular weight were used to show the specific binding of the imprinted polymer for bilirubin. The results further confirmed the successful binding as well as specificity of the imprinted poly(MAA-EGDMA) for α-bilirubin.     

A Molecular Necklace: Threading β‐Cyclodextrins onto Polymers Derived from Bile Acids

A molecular necklace of polypseudorotaxanes was prepared by threading β‐cyclodextrins (β‐CD) onto biodegradable and thermoresponsive polyurethanes derived from bile acids. These polyurethanes were synthesized via a simple step condensation of bile acid‐based dicarbonate with poly(ethylene glycol)‐diamine. The β‐CD rings slide onto the poly(ethylene glycol) segments and selectively recognize the bile acid units of the polyurethane chains, whereas the poly(ethylene glycol) segments remain crystalline with a lower crystallinity. This bio‐compound‐derived molecular necklace can be visualized by scanning tunneling microscopy. The polypseudorotaxanes show thermosensitivity in water and the phase transition temperature may be fine‐tuned by varying the molar ratios of β‐CD to the bile acid units. Such an interesting necklace model of polypseudorotaxane constructed from natural compounds may lead to the further exploration of their applications, such as as an enzyme model, due to their biological nature.     

Preconcentration of copper on ion-selective imprinted polymer microbeads

Molecular recognition-based separation techniques have received much attention in various fields because of their high selectivity for target molecules. Molecular imprinting has been recognized as a promising technique for the preparation of such systems. In this study, we have prepared a novel molecular imprinted adsorbent to remove heavy metal ions with high selectivity. The Cu(II)-imprinted poly(ethylene glycol dimethacrylate–methacryloylamidohistidine/Cu(II)) (poly(EGDMA–MAH/Cu(II))) microbeads with an average size of 150–200 μm were prepared by dispersion polymerization. These Cu(II) imprinted microbeads were used in the adsorption–desorption of copper(II) ions from metal solutions. Adsorption equilibria was achieved in about 1 h. The maximum adsorption of Cu(II) ions onto imprinted microbeads was about 48 mg/g. The pH significantly affected the adsorption capacity of imprinted microbeads. The observed adsorption order under competitive conditions was Cu(II) > Zn(II) > Ni(II) > Co(II) in mass basis. The imprinted microbeads can be easily regenerated by 0.1 M EDTA solution with higher effectiveness. The imprinted microbeads showed excellent selectivity for the target molecule (i.e. Cu(II) ions due to molecular geometry). These features make imprinted microbeads very good candidate for selective removal of Cu(II) ions at high adsorption capacity. Detection limit was increased at least 1000-folds with the preconcentration approach using the imprinted microbeads. The method was also applied to certified reference and seawater samples.     

Monodispersed Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Beads with Enhanced Atrazine Retention Ability Synthesized with Polymeric Diluents

Molecular imprinting technique was applied for the preparation of polymer beads selected for a triazine herbicide, atrazine. Polystyrene, poly(methyl methacrylate) and poly(ethylene glycol) were examined as polymeric diluents, and the morphology of the resultant molecularly imprinted polymers was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Among the examined polymeric diluents, styrene was shown to be favorable for obtaining monodispersed spherical polymer with high retention ability for atrazine.     

Synthesis and characterization of a novel quercetin magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer via reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer strategy

Molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) will be modified on the surface of the core-shell structure silica magnetic nanoparticles, during which quercetin is used as a template molecule, acrylamide as a functional monomer, azo-bisisobutyronitrile as an initiator and ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as a cross-linker, to synthesize highly efficient and selective quercetin magnetic molecularly imprinted nanoparticles via Reversible Addition-Fragmentation chain Transfer (RAFT) polymerization. FT-IR and X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns are used to monitor the reaction and show the characteristic groups of each reaction step. Compared with the conventional bulk polymerization (2.7029 mg/g), the adsorption test showed that the MMIP by RAFT activity controlled polymerization had better absorption capacity for quercetin which the saturated adsorption amount was 4.8471 mg/g. Kinetic studies indicate that pseudo first order model is suitable to describe the adsorption mechanism. Thermodynamics experiment revealed that Langmuir model was more applied for explains the adsorption of quercetin onto magnetic molecularly imprinted polymer.     

HYDROPHILIC MODIFICATION OF PPESK POROUS MEMBRANES VIA AQUEOUS SURFACE-INITIATED ATOM TRANSFER RADICAL POLYMERIZATION

Hydrophilic surface modification of poly(phthalazinone ether sulfone ketone)(PPESK) porous membranes was achieved via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization(ATRP) in aqueous medium.Prior to ATRP.chloromethyl groups were introduced onto PPESK main chains by chloromethylation.Chloromethvlated PPESK(CMPPESK) was fabricated into porous membrane through phase inversion technique.Hydrophilic poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate)(P(PEGMA)) brushes were grafted from CMPPESK membra...     

Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: Compromise between Flexibility and Rigidity for Improving Capture of Template Analogues

New synthetic strategies for molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were developed to mimic the flexibility and mobility exhibited by receptor/enzyme binding pockets. The MIPs were prepared by bulk polymerization with quercetin as template molecule, acrylamide as functional monomer, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as cross‐linker, and THF as porogen. The innovative grafting of specific oligoethylene glycol units onto the imprinted cavities allowed MIPs to be obtained that exhibit extended selectivity towards template analogues. This synthetic strategy gives promising perspectives for the design of molecular recognition of molecules based on a congruent pharmacophore, which should be of interest for drug development.     

Formation of protein molecular imprints within Langmuir monolayers: a quartz crystal microbalance study

Protein imprinting leading to enhanced rebinding of ferritin to ternary lipid monolayers is demonstrated using a quartz crystal microbalance. Monolayers consisting of cationic dioctadecyldimethylammonium bromide, non-ionic methyl stearate, and poly(ethylene glycol) bearing phospholipids were imprinted with ferritin at the air/water interface of a Langmuir-Blodgett trough and transferred hydrated to hydrophobic substrates for study. This immobilization was shown by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy to significantly hinder any further diffusion of lipids, while rebinding studies demonstrated up to a six-fold increase in ferritin adsorption to imprinted versus control monolayers. A diminished rebinding of ferritin to its imprint was observed through pH reduction to below the protein isoelectric point, demonstrating the electrostatic nature of the interaction. Rebinding to films where imprint pockets remained occupied by the template protein was also minimal. Studies with a smaller acidic protein revealed the importance of the steric influence of poly(ethylene glycol) in forming the protein binding pockets, as albumin-imprinted monolayers showed low binding of ferritin, while ferritin-imprinted monolayers readily accommodated albumin. The controllable structure-function relationship and limitations of this system are discussed with respect to the application of protein imprinting in sensor development as well as fundamental studies of proteins at dynamic interfaces.     

Surface fixation of poly(ethylene glycol)via photodimerization of cinnamate group

This article reports a new fixation method for hydrophilic layers on substrates. The method is based on the photochemistry of the cinnamate group, which is capable of intermolecular dimerization upon ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation. The method used was as follows. First, two photoreactive polymers were sequentially coated on a polymeric surface: a polycinnamate as an adhesive layer and a cinnamated poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a hydrophilic layer. Subsequently the surface was exposed to UV light. No delamination occurred upon washing with water and methanol; the photoreactive PEG was chemically bonded onto the surface via the polycinnamate. The higher the molecular weight of PEG, the higher the wettability of the surface was formed. Minimal cell adhesion was observed on such a surface. The biomedical applications of the method are discussed. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

PEG‐SO3H as Catalyst for 3,4‐Dihydropyrimidones via Biginelli Reaction Under Microwave and Solvent‐Free Conditions

An efficient and environmentally friendly process for the synthesis of 3,4‐dihydropyrimidones via the Biginelli‐type condensation reaction using poly(ethylene glycol)‐bound sulfonic acid as catalyst irradiated by microwave has been developed. The functionalized poly(ethylene glycol) acted simultaneously as catalyst and as solvent in the condensation. The workup was easy, and the products were obtained in good to excellent yields and high purities.     

选择性接聚乙烯醇枝聚醚氨酯的合成及其血液相容性

合成了α－甲基，ω－（２，３－环氧丙基）－聚乙二醇醚（Ⅱ）．经水解得到悬挂聚乙二醇（ＰＥＧ）枝的丙二醇－２，３（Ⅲ）．用二元醇（Ⅲ）为扩链剂制得了在硬链段上接有ＰＥＧ枝的聚醚氨酯（Ｈ－ＰＥＵ）．以四氢呋喃与少量大分子单体（Ⅱ）进行正离子开环共聚合制得每个链接有约１．３个ＰＥＧ枝的聚丁二醇（Ⅳ），用以合成了在软链段上接有ＰＥＧ枝的聚醚氨酯（Ｓ－ＰＥＵ）．ＥＳＣＡ及抗凝血性研究结果表明，不同位置接枝的ＰＥＵ，其表面都有明显的聚醚链段富集．Ｓ－ＰＥＵ抗凝血复钙时间只比未接枝者增长约２０％，而Ｈ－ＰＥＵ则增约一倍，比Ｓ－ＰＥＵ增约６０％．随ＰＥＧ最增大，复钙时间增长．     

In-situ grafting hydrophilic polymer on chitosan modified poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchip for separation of biomolecules

In this paper, a simple and green modification method is developed for biomolecules analysis on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchip with successful depression of nonspecific biomolecules adsorption. O-[(N-succinimdyl)succiny]-o'-methyl-poly(ethylene glycol) was explored to form hydrophilic surface via in-situ grafting onto pre-coated chitosan (Chit) from aqueous solution in the PDMS microchannel. The polysaccharide chains backbone of Chit was strongly attracted onto the surface of PDMS via hydrophobic interaction combined with hydrogen bonding in an alkaline medium. The methyl-poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) could produce hydrophilic domains on the mPEG/aqueous interface, which generated brush-like coating in this way and revealed perfect resistance to nonspecific adsorption of biomolecules. This strategy could greatly improve separation efficiency and reproducibility of biomolecules. Amino acids and proteins could be efficiently separated and successfully detected on the coated microchip coupled with end-channel amperometric detection at a copper electrode. In addition, it offered an effective means for preparing biocompatible and hydrophilic surface on microfluidic devices, which may have potential use in the biological analysis.     

Preparation and characterization of nonfouling polymer brushes on poly(ethylene terephthalate) film surfaces

In this study, a surface grafting of nonfouling poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether acrylate (PEGMA) on poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) was carried out via surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) to improve hemocompatibility of polymer based biomaterials. To do this, the coupling agent with hydroxyl groups for the ATRP initiator was first anchored on the surface of PET films using photochemical method, and then these hydroxyl groups were esterified by bromoisobutyryl bromide, from which PET with various main chain lengths of PEGMA was prepared. The structures and properties of modified PET surfaces were investigated using water contact angle (WAC), ATR-FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM). The molecular weights of the free polymer from solution were determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). These results indicated that grafting of PEGMA on PET film is a simple way to change its surface properties. The protein adsorption resistance on the surfaces of PET was primarily evaluated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The result demonstrated that the protein adsorption could be well suppressed by poly(PEGMA) brush structure on the surface of PET. This work provides a new approach for polymers to enhance their biocompatibility.     

Surface imprinted thin polymer film systems with selective recognition for bovine serum albumin

Molecularly imprinted polymers are synthetic antibody mimics formed by the crosslinking of organic or inorganic polymers in the presence of an analyte which yields recognitive polymer networks with specific binding pockets for that biomolecule. Surface imprinted polymers were synthesized via a novel technique for the specific recognition of bovine serum albumin (BSA). Thin films of recognitive networks based on 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) as the functional monomer and varying amounts of either N,N′-methylenebisacrylamide (MBA) or poly(ethylene glycol) (400) dimethacrylate (PEG400DMA) as the crosslinking agent were synthesized via UV free-radical polymerization and characterized. A clear and reproducible increase in recognition of the template BSA was demonstrated for these systems at 1.6-2.5 times more BSA recognized by the MIP sample relative to the control polymers. Additionally, these polymers exhibited selective recognition of the template relative to competing proteins with up to 2.9 times more BSA adsorbed than either glucose oxidase or bovine hemoglobin. These synthetic antibody mimics hold significant promise as the next generation of robust recognition elements in a wide range of bioassay and biosensor applications.     

Low‐Fouling Electrosprayed Hemoglobin Nanoparticles with Antioxidant Protection as Promising Oxygen Carriers

Despite all the attempts to create advanced hemoglobin (Hb)‐based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) employing an encapsulation platform, major challenges including attaining a high Hb loading and long circulation times still need to be overcome. Herein, the fabrication, for the first time, of nanoparticles fully made of Hb (Hb‐NPs) employing the electrospray technique is reported. The Hb‐NPs are then coated by antioxidant and self‐polymerized poly(dopamine) (PDA) to minimize the conversion of Hb into nonfunctional methemoglobin (metHb). The PDA shell is further functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) to achieve stealth properties. The results demonstrate that the as‐prepared Hb‐NPs are hemo‐ and biocompatible while offering antioxidant protection and decreasing the formation of metHb. Additionally, decoration with PEG results in decreased protein adsorption onto the Hb‐NPs surface, suggesting a prolonged retention time within the body. Finally, the Hb‐NPs also preserve the reversible oxygen‐binding and releasing properties of Hb. All in all, within this study, a novel HBOCs with high Hb content is fabricated and its potential as an artificial blood substitute is evaluated.