Functionalization of Poly(ethylene terephthalate) Fibers by Photografting of a Carbohydrate Derivatized with a Phenyl Azide Group

Novel N-chloramine precursors for antimicrobial application: synthesis and facile covalent immobilization on polyurethane surface based on perfluorophenyl azide (PFPA) chemistry

To control the pathogen cross contaminations on medical material surface, there is a pressing need to develop antimicrobial materials with highly efficacious surface biocidal activity. In this work, N-chloramine precursors containing a quaternary ammonium unit and perfluorophenyl azide unit were synthesized and covalently immobilized on inert polyurethane (PU) film upon UV light irradiation. The surface modification was confirmed by contact angle, Fourier transform infrared (ATR FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses. After bleaching treatment, satisfactory biocidal activity was achieved for the surface-modified PU films. It was found that the introduced surface QA center contributed an even faster surface contact killing behavior and that precursors with a longer structural linker caused higher surface chlorine content and higher antimicrobial efficacy. This approach provides a novel and facile method that enables the covalent immobilization of N-chloramine precursors on inert polymeric surface to produce durable antimicrobial materials.

Fabrication of an Anti-Biofouling Plasma-Filtration Membrane by an Electrospinning Process Using Photo-Cross-linkable Zwitterionic Phospholipid Polymers

The goal of this study is to fabricate a stable plasma filtration membrane with antibiofouling properties via an electrospinning process. To this end, a random-type copolymer consisting of zwitterionic phosphorylcholine (PC) groups and ultraviolet (UV)-cross-linkable phenyl azide groups was synthesized. The zwitterionic PC group provides antibiofouling properties, and the phenyl azide group enables the stable maintenance of the fibrous nanostructure of hydrophilic zwitterion polymers in aqueous medium via a simple UV curing process. To demonstrate the antibiofouling nature of the PC group, a polymer without antibiofouling PC groups was also prepared for comparison. The successful synthesis of the random-type copolymers containing phenyl azide groups was proven by ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and the fibrous structure of the prepared membranes was observed by field emission scanning electron microscopy. The antibiofouling properties were analyzed by fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled bovine serum albumin adsorption and platelet adhesion tests. The experimental results show that membranes containing zwitterionic PC groups exhibited obvious decreases in platelet adhesion and protein adsorption. Platelet-rich plasma solution was filtered using the prepared membranes to test their filtration properties. The sequential filtration process removed 80% and almost 98% of the platelets. This finding confirmed that the membrane retained its blood-inert biomaterial surface in a complex medium that included blood plasma and platelets.

Simultaneous patterning of proteins and cells through bioconjugation with photoreactable phospholipid polymers

Photoreactable bioconjugated macromolecule composed of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and 2-(4-azidobenzamido)ethyl methacrylate was synthesized to develop simultaneously patterned surface of proteins and cells.

Concentrated polymer brush-modified silica particle coating confers biofouling-resistance on modified materials

Biofouling, an undesired adsorption of biological material to otherwise inert surfaces, is detrimental in medical, pharmaceutical, and other sectors. Concentrated polymer brushes (CPB) confer non-biofouling properties on modified surfaces but are cumbersome to fabricate. Here, a simple and versatile method of fabricating non-biofouling coatings for various substrates was developed using CPB-modified silica nanoparticles (SiPs). Concentrated poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate) (PPEGMA) brushes were grafted on SiPs by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization. CPB-SiPs were spin-coated onto silicon wafers or quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor chips with phenyl azido cross-linkers. SiP cross-linking was then performed by ultra violet irradiation for 20s, or by heating at 120°C for 12h. Protein adsorption to coatings was studied by QCM approach and human umbilical vein endothelial cell adhesion to coatings was examined. SiP to cross-linker weight ratios were varied from 2.0/0.5 to 9.0/0.5 (wt/wt%) and the coatings almost completely suppressed protein adsorption and cell adhesion to treated surfaces. The coating was also applied to polymeric films, rendering these materials biofouling-resistant.

Synthesis and Application of New Photocrosslinkers for Poly(ethylene glycol)

Photocrosslinking of polyethylene glycol (PEG) using exogenous agents is a convenient way to produce branched PEG from commercial sources thus avoiding the tricky synthesis of new reactive and functional polymers. In this study, we synthesized two series of new photocrosslinkers, i.e. bis-fluorophenyl azide and bis-trifluoromethyl diazirine, which under soft UV-irradiation produce reactive species (i.e. nitrene and carbene respectively) that insert into the C–H bond of the polymer backbone, building new bridges between macromolecular chains. These photocrosslinkers are different in terms of behaviour under irradiation and affinity for the target substrate (i.e. PEG). Thus, practical conditions for photocrosslinking of a 10-kDa PEG were studied and followed by NMR and size-exclusion chromatography. In particular, we investigated irradiation in bulk or in solvent, at different irradiation times, with several concentrations of PEG and photolinkers. Finally, we were able to design a procedure to obtain soluble crosslinked PEGs of 300 kDa.

Preparation and Surface Modification of Poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) Electrospun Nanofibrous Membranes

Poly(acrylonitrile-co-acrylic acid) (PANCAA) was synthesized and fabricated into nanofibrous membranes by an electrospinning technique. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that membranes composed of uniformly thin and smooth nanofibres were obtained under optimized processing parameters. Surface modification with chitosan on these nanofibrous membranes was accomplished by a coupling reaction between the carboxylic groups of PANCAA and the primary amino groups of chitosan. Fluorescent labelling, weight measurement, FT-IR/ATR spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to confirm the modification process and determine the immobilization degree of chitosan. Platelet adhesion experiments were further carried out to evaluate the hemocompatibility of the studied nanofibrous membranes. Preliminary results indicated that the immobilization of chitosan on the PANCAA nanofibrous membranes was favourable for platelet adhesion.

Double plasma treatment-induced graft polymerization of carbohydrated monomers on poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers

This study deals with the grafting of carbohydrate monomers on poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers by double argon plasma treatment. Two monomers were used: allyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside and 2-methacryloxyethyl glucoside. The quantity of grafted carbohydrates was determined by phenol/sulfuric acid colorimetric titration. The graft density was observed to vary according to the monomer used. Allyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside yields to smaller graft densities compared to 2-methacryloxyethyl glucoside, suggesting transfer reactions occurring at the surface with allyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside. Fibers with the highest graft levels were obtained with the higher monomer concentration and the lower quantity of fiber treated in a plasma reactor. The grafting density can be modulated by the monomer concentration and mass of fiber exposed in the plasma reactor. For 0.5 mg of fibers, the graft densities for 23 and 68 mM allyl alpha-D-galactopyranoside are, respectively, 18 and 35 nmol/cm2. For 0.5 mg of fibers, the graft densities for 19 and 38 mM 2-methacryloxyethyl glucoside are, respectively, 150 and 250 nmol/cm2. Comparative study without the preactivation treatment shows the efficiency of the preactivation: for a mass of fiber of 0.5 mg and a 2-methacryloxyethyl glucoside concentration of 38 mM, the grafting density without plasma pretreatment is 38 nmol/cm2. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectra confirmed the anchoring of the glycopolymer onto the poly(ethylene terephthalate) surfaces. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electronic microscopy pictures indicated their morphological changes.