Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is extensively used in the field of biomaterials. However, its hydrophobicity still limits its range of applications and makes it prone to biofouling. Various techniques are currently utilized to overcome this limitation, but most of them reduce some of the PDMS prime characteristics, such as its mechanical strength and optical transparency. In this work, we employed an original two-step coating process to bypass harsh treatments on PDMS like UV–ozone or plasma treatment. A pre-coating step of tannic acid-Fe(III) complex was performed prior to the zwitterionization of the PDMS with poly(glycidyl methacrylate-co-sulfobetaine methacrylate) or poly(GMA-co-SBMA) by a “grafting-to” approach. Successful coating was evidenced by a decrease of the water-contact angle from 118° to 79°. The process was optimized, and the optimized coating condition led to a significant improvement of the PDMS biocompatibility while maintaining its mechanical property and optical transparency. In addition, a 90% reduction of Escherichia coli attachment and fibrinogen plasma protein, an 80% reduction of red blood cells and cells from whole-blood attachment, and a 60% reduction of platelets adhesion were measured. We further tested the potential of the zwitterionic PDMS material as a storage vessel for platelet-rich plasma under physiological conditions. Platelet activation was decreased from 10.95% using virgin PDMS to 3.35% with the coated sample in a period of 2 days.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2025 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.