Substrate-independent approach for the generation of functional protein resistant surfaces

A new route for coating various substrates with antifouling polymer layers was developed. It consisted in deposition of an amino-rich adhesion layer by means of RF magnetron sputtering of Nylon 6,6 followed by the well-controlled, surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of antifouling polymer brushes initiated by bromoisobutyrate covalently attached to amino groups present in the adhesion layer. Polymer brushes of hydroxy- and methoxy-capped oligoethyleneglycol methacrylate and carboxybetaine acrylamide were grafted from bromoisobutyrate initiator attached to a 15 nm thick amino-rich adhesion layer deposited on gold, silicon, polypropylene, and titanium-aluminum-vanadium alloy surfaces. Well-controlled polymerization kinetics made it possible to control the thickness of the brushes at a nanometer scale. Zero fouling from single protein solutions and a reduction of more than 90% in the fouling from blood plasma observed on the uncoated surfaces was achieved. The feasibility of functionalization with bioactive compounds was tested by covalent attachment of streptavidin onto poly(oligoethylene glycol methacrylate) brush and subsequent immobilization of model antibodies and oligonucleotides. The procedure is nondestructive and does not require any chemical preactivation or the presence of reactive groups on the substrate surface. Contrary to current antifouling modifications, the developed coating can be built on various classes of substrates and preserves its antifouling properties even in undiluted blood plasma. The new technique might be used for fabrication of biotechnological and biomedical devices with tailor-made functions that will not be impaired by fouling from ambient biological media.