Titanium alloy modified with anti-biofouling zwitterionic polymer to facilitate formation of bio-mineral layer

The surface of a titanium (Ti) alloy was modified with a self-assembled monolayer of poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate phosphate (Phosmer PE). A zwitterionic monomer (carboxymethyl betaine, CMB) could be copolymerized with the surface-bound Phosmer PE due to a flexible linker between the Ti alloy surface and a methacryloyl group of Phosmer PE. The poly(CMB) (PCMB)-modified Ti alloy plate exhibited strong suppression of protein adsorption and cell adhesion, and induced approximately twice the amount of calcium (Ca²⁺) deposition as compared to the unmodified Ti alloy plate. The zwitterionic polymer-modified surfaces not only showed enhanced mineralization clusters creation and growth, but they were also highly non-responsive to biologically derived materials such as proteins and cells. Therefore, it is possible to easily form highly pure and rigid hydroxyapatite layers on Ti alloy surfaces without the incorporation of organic molecules such as proteins. The present surface modification technique and strategy can be applied to implantable orthopedic materials as a means of encouraging integration with host tissues, such as the thigh bone.