Mussel-Inspired Multivalent Linear Polyglycerol Coatings Outperform Monovalent Polyethylene Glycol Coatings in Antifouling Surface Properties

Abstract

Biofouling constitutes a major challenge in the application of biosensors and biomedical implants, as well as for (food) packaging and marine equipment. In this work, an antifouling surface coating based on the combination of mussel-inspired dendritic polyglycerol (MI-dPG), and an amine-functionalized block-copolymer of linear polyglycerol (lPG–b–OA11, OA= oligo-amine) was developed. The coating was compared to a MI-dPG surface which was post-functionalized with commercially available amine-terminated polyethylene glycol (HO–PEG–NH2) of similar molecular weight. In the current work, these coatings were compared in their chemical stability, protein fouling characteristics, and cell fouling characteristics. The lPG–b–OA11-functionalized coating showed high chemical stability in both phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions, and reduced the adhesion of fibrinogen from human plasma with 99% and the adhesion of human serum albumin with 96%, in comparison to the bare titanium d...