2 research outputs found
Hyperbranched Fluoropolymer-Polydimethylsiloxane-Poly(ethylene glycol) Cross-Linked Terpolymer Networks Designed for Marine and Biomedical Applications: Heterogeneous Nontoxic Antibiofouling Surfaces
Synthesis
of terpolymer coatings composed of hyperbranched fluoropolymers cross-linked
with bisamino-propyl polyÂ(ethylene glycol) and bisamino-propyl polydimethylsiloxane
(PDMS) was performed to generate antibiofouling surfaces. Nanoscale
imaging and surface spectroscopy confirmed that this system possessed
complex surface topographies and chemical compositions. Surface complexity
was determined to be due to molecular interactions, phase segregation,
and compositional gradients arising between the three components.
A clear difference in surface behavior was observable before and after
exposure to water. Antibiofouling characteristics were investigated
by bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption studies; the terpolymer coating
displayed a 60% greater resistance to protein adsorption in comparison
to the fouling of a commercial antibiofouling silicone coating. The
unique surface topography, topology, and chemical heterogeneity expressed
at a variety of scales provide a robust regime for the generation
of hardy, complex surfaces known to incorporate characteristics appropriate
for antibiofouling applications. Thorough assessment of thermal responses
and mechanical properties in relevant environments demonstrated a
formulation platform immediately appropriate for consideration in
marine and in vivo applications
Noradrenaline-Functionalized Hyperbranched Fluoropolymer–Poly(ethylene glycol) Cross-Linked Networks As Dual-Mode, Anti-Biofouling Coatings
The strategy of decorating antibiofouling hyperbranched fluoropolymer–poly(ethylene glycol) (HBFP-PEG) networks with a settlement sensory deterrent, noradrenaline (NA), and the results of biofouling assays are presented. This example of a dual-mode surface, which combines both passive and active modes of antibiofouling, works in synergy to improve the overall antibiofouling efficiency against barnacle cyprids. The HBFP-PEG polymer surface, prior to modification with NA, was analyzed by atomic force microscopy, and a significant distribution of topographical features was observed, with a nanoscopic roughness measurement of 110 ± 8 nm. NA attachment to the surface was probed by secondary ion mass spectrometry to quantify the extent of polymer chain-end substitution with NA, where a 3- to 4-fold increase in intensity for a fragment ion associated with NA was observed and 39% of the available sites for attachment were substituted. Cytoskeletal assays confirmed the activity of tethered NA on adhering oyster hemocytes. Settlement assays showed deterrence toward barnacle cyprid settlement, while not compromising the passive biofouling resistance of the surface. This robust strategy demonstrates a methodology for the incorporation of actively antibiofouling moieties onto a passively antibiofouling network