PEG-functionalized aliphatic polycarbonate brushes with self-polishing dynamic antifouling properties

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Traditional hydrophilic antifouling polymers degrade over time due to contaminant accumulation.
• A need exists for durable antifouling surfaces with self-polishing capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel dynamic antifouling surface with long-term efficacy.
• To create a self-polishing surface using advanced polymerization and click chemistry techniques.

Main Methods:

• Surface-initiated ring-opening graft polymerization (SI-ROP) of a cyclic carbide monomer (FMC).
• Sulfur(IV)-fluorine exchange (SuFEx) click chemistry to graft polyethylene glycol (PEG).
• Evaluation of antifouling performance against protein adsorption and microbial adhesion.

Main Results:

• The modified surface demonstrated significant prevention of protein adsorption (BSA, Fg, Lyz) and microbial adhesion (S. aureus, HeLa cells).
• The self-polishing nature of the surface maintained antifouling properties after enzymatic treatment.
• High antifouling efficacy was observed, with up to 96.4% protein rejection and 87.5% bacterial inhibition.

Conclusions:

• The developed dynamic antifouling surface offers a promising solution for long-term fouling prevention.
• This surface modification strategy has potential applications in biosensors and advanced antifouling materials.