Synergy between Zwitterionic Polymers and Hyaluronic Acid Enhances Antifouling Performance
Challenges associated with nonspecific adsorption of proteins on sensor surfaces have steered the
development of novel antifouling materials and strategies. Inspired by human synovial fluid composition and structure, we designed synergistic antifouling coatings with mixtures of hyaluronic acid (HA) and a zwitterionic bottlebrush polymer (BB). Using a fast and convenient online surface modification method, the polymers were immobilized on the Au surface, significantly increasing its hydrophilicity. Using surface plasmon resonance (SPR), a 10:1 ratio of HA to BB was found optimal to provide the best antifouling performance. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption on HA-BB coated surfaces was 0.2 ng/cm2, which was 60 times lower than BB or HA alone and 25 times lower than the commonly accepted ultralow adsorption limit (<5 ng/cm2), demonstrating the synergistic effect of HA and BB against nonspecific protein adsorption. This was found to be independent of BSA concentration up to physiological concentrations. Furthermore, the antifouling performance of HA-BB coated surfaces was tested against milk and serum, showing almost 92% lower protein
†State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, Tianjin Key Laboratory of Membrane Science and Desalination Technology,
School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
‡Faculty of Pharmacy, Université de Montréal, 2900 Édouard-Montpetit, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3J7, Canada
§Tianjin Key Laboratory of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin
University, Tianjin 300072, P. R. China
#Collaborative Innovation Center of Chemical Science and Engineering (Tianjin), Tianjin 300072, China
⊥Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, P.O. Box 6079, Station Centre-Ville, Montreal, Quebec H3C 3A7, Canada