Adsorption of poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polylactide copolymers on polylactide as studied by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy

In this study, the adsorption of amphiphilic poly(ethylene oxide)-block-polylactide (mPEO-PLA) copolymers from a selective solvent onto a polylactide surface was studied as a method of polylactide surface modification and its effect on nonspecific protein adsorption was evaluated. A series of well defined mPEO-PLA copolymers was prepared to investigate the effect of copolymer composition on the resulting PEO chain density and on the surface resistance to protein adsorption. The copolymers contained PEO blocks with molecular weights ranging between 5600 and 23,800 and with 16-47 wt% of PLA. The adsorption of both the copolymers and bovine serum albumin was quantified by attenuated total reflection FTIR spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). In addition to the adsorbed copolymer amount, its actual composition was determined. The PEO chain density on the surface was found to decrease with the molecular weight of the PEO block and to increase with the molecular weight of the PLA block. The adsorbed copolymers displayed the ability to reduce protein adsorption. The maximum reduction within the tested series (by 80%) was achieved with the copolymer containing PEO of MW 5600 and a PLA block of the same MW.