Plasma-Generated Poly(allyl alcohol) Antifouling Coatings for Cellular Attachment

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Biomedical polyurethane scaffolds require surface modification for improved biocompatibility and functionality.
• Developing robust, hydrophilic coatings is crucial for tissue engineering applications.
• Preventing bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on implants is a significant clinical challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize conformal poly(allyl alcohol) (PAA) coatings on polyurethane scaffolds.
• To investigate the effect of a two-step plasma polymerization process on coating adhesion and stability.
• To evaluate the biocompatibility and anti-biofilm properties of the PAA-coated scaffolds.

Main Methods:

• Pulsed plasma polymerization of allyl alcohol monomer to create PAA coatings.
• Utilizing a continuous wave polymer primer layer for enhanced interfacial adhesion.
• Incubation of coated scaffolds in biological media for 7 days to assess stability.
• Cell culture studies with human dermal fibroblasts and E. coli biofilm assays.

Main Results:

• Conformal PAA coatings were successfully grown on polyurethane scaffolds.
• The two-step process significantly improved interfacial adhesion and coating stability.
• PAA coatings exhibited strong hydrophilicity and remained stable after 7 days in biological media.
• The coated scaffolds promoted human dermal fibroblast cell culture.
• The PAA coatings effectively resisted E. coli biofilm formation.

Conclusions:

• Energy-efficient, two-step pulsed plasma polymerization is effective for creating stable, hydrophilic PAA coatings on polyurethane.
• These PAA coatings enhance scaffold biocompatibility by promoting fibroblast growth.
• The developed coatings offer a promising strategy for preventing bacterial infections by resisting E. coli biofilm formation.