Unveiling the Antifouling Potential of Stabilized Poly(phosphorus ylides)

Zwitterionic polymers have emerged as highly attractive building blocks for antifouling coatings in biomedical applications. Notably, these polymers offer effective alternatives to the widely used poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), which has raised concerns regarding its immunotoxicity and the development of PEG-specific antibodies. Polymeric ylides, a largely overlooked class of zwitterionic polymers, have been reported as effective antifouling scaffolds. However, the reported subclasses, poly(sulfur ylides) and N-oxides, lack structural diversity and chemical variability. In this study, we present the synthesis and characterization of polymeric phosphorus ylides as an unexplored class of poly(ylides) with significantly increased structural diversity, which is of high value when designing future ylide-based antifouling materials. Our findings demonstrate that, owing to their low dipole moments and hydration layers, these polymeric phosphorus ylides significantly reduce bacterial attachment. Furthermore, we observe selective toxicity toward bacteria rather than mammalian cells. The bactericidal nature of poly(phosphorus ylides), coupled with their expanded chemical space, provides a distinct advantage over existing materials, including zwitterionic polymers from betaine scaffolds. We anticipate that these unexplored structures will broaden the scope of antifouling applications for poly(ylides).