Photoreactive self-assembling polyethers for biomedical coatings

A new family of diblock surfactants based on low molecular weight polyethylene oxide and a more hydrophobic block containing benzophenone is reported. These surfactants self-assemble out of aqueous solution onto hydrophobic surfaces and can be covalently bonded to the surface via irradiation with ultraviolet light. Such films on polystyrene possess a static contact angle with water of 55.7 +/- 1.7degrees. Non-specific adsorption of several proteins on these surfaces is compared. with the greatest reduction being 89% for fibrinogen. In addition, the coatings have been shown to reduce adherence of the bacterium Proteus mirabilis by 95.5%. Surfaces were investigated with atomic force microscopy and time of flight-secondary ion mass spectroscopy (TOF-SIMS), which revealed very thin uniform coatings. Such thin wettable and passivating coatings may be desirable on applications where small spatial separations must be preserved. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.