Starch based sulfobetaine zwitterionic coatings for anticoagulation

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Blood-contacting medical devices face challenges with thrombosis and bacterial infections.
• Traditional zwitterionic polymers for antifouling require complex synthesis and toxic catalysts.
• Developing safe, effective, and scalable antifouling coatings is crucial for biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a metal-catalyst-free strategy for fabricating a renewable starch-based sulfobetaine zwitterionic coating (OSt-SBSi).
• To achieve stable immobilization of the coating via covalent anchoring, preventing delamination.
• To evaluate the biofouling resistance and hemocompatibility of the novel coating.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of zwitterionic antifouling and hydrolyzable silane groups onto a polymer backbone.
• Metal-catalyst-free synthesis of the OSt-SBSi coating.
• Covalent immobilization onto substrates using siloxane-based anchoring.
• Assessment of protein, cell, platelet, and bacterial adhesion.
• Evaluation of hemocompatibility and thrombus formation in an ex vivo blood circulation model.

Main Results:

• The OSt-SBSi coating demonstrated broad-spectrum resistance to biofouling, significantly reducing adhesion of proteins, cells, platelets, and bacteria.
• Stable, multi-site covalent anchoring prevented coating delamination.
• The coating exhibited excellent hemocompatibility, preventing thrombus formation in a dynamic ex vivo model.
• The OSt-SBSi coating maintained its structural integrity and anticoagulant activity after 7 days of immersion.

Conclusions:

• The developed scalable, eco-friendly, and metal-catalyst-free strategy yields a robust zwitterionic coating with excellent antifouling and hemocompatible properties.
• The OSt-SBSi coating effectively prevents biofouling and thrombosis, showing promise for next-generation blood-contacting biomedical devices.
• This approach overcomes limitations of traditional methods, offering a sustainable alternative for medical device coatings.