Surface forces and protein adsorption on dextran- and polyethylene glycol-modified polydimethylsiloxane

Dextran and polyethylene glycol (PEG) are often covalently bound to the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the purpose of modifying its hydrophilicity and biocompatibility. In this work, the effects of the dextran and PEG on the morphology, wetting, and surface charge of the resulting surfaces were quantified and correlated with changes in the amount of fibrinogen and albumin adsorbed from aqueous solution. PDMS films were functionalized in a microwave oxygen plasma to create surface hydroxyl groups that were subsequently aminated by incubation in a (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTES) solution. Oxidized dextran and PEG-aldehyde were linked to the surface amines via reductive amination. This process resulted in low surface coverage of immobilized PEG in the end-on conformation and a more uniform and dense distribution of side-on immobilized dextran. The immobilized dextran reduced the contact angle of the PDMS film from 109° to 80° and neutralized the zeta potential over the pH range from 3 to 11. An atomic force microscope was used to measure the interaction force between the modified PDMS and a model hydrophobic surface (polystyrene latex) and a model hydrophilic surface (silica) in aqueous solution to show that van der Waals and hydrophobic attractive forces are the dominant forces for protein adsorption in this system. The PEG- and dextran-modified PDMS were exposed to BSA and fibrinogen to test their resistance to protein adsorption. The coatings were ineffective at reducing the adsorption of either molecule, and the dextran-modification of the PDMS caused more BSA to adsorb than in the case of the unmodified PDMS.