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Updated: Oct 9, 2025

3D Printing and In Situ Surface Modification via Type I Photoinitiated Reversible Addition-Fragmentation Chain Transfer Polymerization
Published on: February 18, 2022
Surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of bactericidal polymer brushes on poly(lactic acid)
Pranav P Kalelkar1, Zhishuai Geng1, Bronson Cox1
1School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0400, USA.
Abstract:
We have modified the surface of poly(lactic acid) (PLA) by bromination in the presence of N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) under UV irradiation. This new approach to impart functionality to the surface does not effect the bulk of the material. Brominated PLA surfaces served as initiators for atom-transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of 2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride, a quaternary ammonium methacrylate (QMA). Grafting of poly(QMA) brushes rendered PLA films hydrophilic and these films displayed a three-order of magnitude increase in antimicrobial efficacy against Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli as compared to unmodified PLA. The two-step strategy described here to modify PLA surface represents a useful route to modified PLA materials for biomedical and antimicrobial packaging applications.
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