An Antibacterial and Antifouling MPC/NaSS/DMA Coating against Biofilms and Thrombi on Vascular Device Implants

The formation of pathogenic bacterial biofilms and thrombui is one of the most common causes of infections associated with medical implants. Proposing a new strategy to endow implant materials with effective antifouling and antibacterial properties, ensuring their safe and long-term use, is of great clinical significance. Therefore, an antibacterial and antifouling composite coating was proposed in this study. A zwitterionic copolymer, PSS containing MPC, NaSS, and DMA, was first prepared through free radical copolymerization. Dopamine and PSS copolymers were self-polymerized to form a composite coating, and the phenolic hydroxyl functional groups in the coating effectively chelated and reduced silver ions into silver nanoparticles. The results showed that the composite coatings all exhibited significant antifouling capabilities against proteins (BSA and BFG), platelets, and bacteria (S. aureus and E. coli). With the increased amount of MPC, specifically PVC/PSS262-Ag, the composite coating exhibited the most outstanding performance, with an antiprotein adsorption rate exceeding 90%. Cytotoxicity tests with HUVECs and rabbit blood demonstrated that the composite coating had an excellent biocompatibility. In summary, the dual antibacterial and antifouling coating proposed in this study holds great potential for application in controlling the formation of biofilms and thrombi on biomaterials.