One-Step
Dip Coating of Zwitterionic Sulfobetaine Polymers on Hydrophobic and
Hydrophilic Surfaces
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Abstract
Zwitterionic sulfobetaine polymers
with a catechol chain end (DOPA-PSB) were applied to a variety of
hydrophobic polymer sheets and fibers. In addition, a silica surface
was tested as a representative hydrophilic substrate. The polymer-coated
surfaces showed significantly lower fouling levels than uncoated controls.
Because of the anti-polyelectrolyte nature of sulfobetaine zwitterionic
polymers, the effect of salt concentration on the coating solutions
and the quality of the polymer coating against fouling are studied.
The coating method involves only water-based solutions, which is compatible
with most surfaces and is environmentally friendly. To demonstrate
the versatility of the reported method, we evaluated the fouling levels
of the polymer coating on commonly used polymeric surfaces such as
polypropylene (PP), polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), polystyrene (PS),
nylon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA)