A biomimetic approach towards a universal slippery liquid infused surface coating

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces (SLIPS) mimic natural surfaces for anti-fouling properties.
• Existing SLIPS fabrication methods can be complex and costly.
• Mussel-inspired polydopamine (PDA) offers a versatile platform for surface functionalization.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a simplified, biomimetic method for creating SLIPS using a PDA anchor layer.
• To characterize the fabricated PDA-based SLIPS on various substrates.
• To evaluate the hemocompatibility of the novel PDA-SLIPS coating.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SLIPS on cyclic olefin copolymer, silicon, and stainless steel using a PDA anchor layer and a fluorinated thiol.
• Surface characterization via water contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and sum frequency generation spectroscopy.
• Hemocompatibility assessment through FXII activation, fibrin generation time, clot morphology, and platelet adhesion assays.

Main Results:

• Successfully created PDA-based SLIPS on multiple substrates with confirmed surface functionalization and chemical composition.
• Demonstrated that PDA SLIPS coatings significantly slow or prevent blood clotting.
• Observed FXII activation and platelet adhesion/activation, indicating incomplete omniphobicity.

Conclusions:

• A simplified, mussel-inspired PDA-based SLIPS fabrication method is presented.
• The PDA-SLIPS coating exhibits promising hemocompatibility by reducing clotting.
• Further optimization is needed to achieve complete omniphobicity and enhance hemocompatibility.