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Zwitterionic Porous Conjugated Polymers as a Versatile Platform for Antibiofouling Implantable Bioelectronics
Jinjia Xu1, Jian Xu1, Haesoo Moon1
1Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Birck Nanotechnology Center, Center for Implantable Devices, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana 47906, United States.
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
|June 4, 2020
Summary
New zwitterionic polymers combat biofouling in medical devices. These materials offer enhanced conductivity and stability, potentially extending the life of bioelectronics by minimizing the body's foreign response.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Biofouling is a major challenge for conjugated polymers in biomedical applications, leading to bioelectronic device failure and reduced lifespan.
- Existing conjugated polymers often suffer from poor biocompatibility and performance degradation due to interactions with biological environments.
- Minimizing foreign body response is crucial for the long-term success of in vivo bioelectronics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, synthesize, and evaluate novel multifunctional zwitterionic polymers for enhanced bioelectronic applications.
- To address the biofouling challenge in conjugated polymers by incorporating zwitterionic side chains and distorted units.
- To investigate the impact of polymer architecture on porosity, morphology, optical properties, and antibiofouling efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of poly(carboxybetaine thiophene) (PCBTh) and poly(carboxybetaine thiophene-co-9,9'-bifluoreneylidene) (PCBTh-coBF) using Yamamoto and Suzuki polycondensation.
- Incorporation of zwitterionic side chains and twisting units into the polymer backbone.
- Evaluation of polymer properties including conductivity, stability, hydrophilicity, and antibiofouling characteristics.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of multifunctional zwitterionic linear and porous polymers.
- The PCBTh-coBF coated surface demonstrated excellent conductivity, stability, and hydrophilicity.
- Significant antibiofouling properties were observed, including reduced protein adsorption, cell growth, and bacterial attachment.
Conclusions:
- The developed zwitterionic polymers effectively mitigate biofouling, a critical issue for biomedical applications.
- The introduction of a twisting unit allows for tuning of polymer properties and antibiofouling performance.
- These polymers show promise for chronic in vivo bioelectronics by minimizing the foreign body response and extending device lifetime.
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