Copolymers having pendant monosaccharide groups were synthesized by copolymerizing 2-(glucosy1oxy)ethyl methacrylate (GEMA, l), with methyl methacrylate (MMA) or styrene (St).The surface characteristics of the copolymer films were investigated by means of contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and protein adsorption. The surface free energy of the GEMA/St copolymer films was constant in the range of a GEMA content from 10 mol-To to 60 mol-To. Insertion of GEMA of over 60 mol-To, however, caused an increase of the surface free energy of the copolymer films. The surface composition determined by means of XPS supported the result from surface free energy measurements. There was a significant difference between the GEMA/St and GEMA/MMA copolymer films in the effect of the GEMA content on the surface characteristics of the films. The differences could be explained on the basis of the sequence of monomeric units in each copolymer. Immersing the copolymer films in hot water made the copolymer surface more hydrophilic. This is because each component migrates to the surface or the bulk in order to minimize the surface free energy of the copolymer films. The introduction of GEMA to the copolymer suppressed fibrinogen adsorption onto the copolymer films.

We copolymerized a monomer with a pendant glucose unit (GEMA) with methyl methacrylate (MMA) and prepared copolymer films with pendant monosaccharides by casting the copolymer solution on glass plates. The surfaces of the copolymer films were characterized by contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and protein adsorption measurements, and compared with the surface of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA)-MMA copolymer films. The surface free energy of the GEMA-MMA and HEMA-MMA copolymer was calculated from the contact angle of methylene diiodide and glycerol on the copolymer films. The surface free energy of the films increased gradually with increasing GEMA or HEMA content. The surface free energy of GEMA-MMA copolymers was larger than that of HEMA-MMA copolymers in the whole range of composition. The results of XPS measurements suggest that the fraction of GEMA at the copolymer surface increases as the content of GEMA in the copolymer increases. This indicates that introduction of GEMA makes the copolymer surface more hydrophilic. Furthermore, the higher the GEMA content is, the smaller amounts of fibrinogen and y-globulin are adsorbed at the copolymer surface. The copolymer with a GEMA content of 20 mol-Vo hardly adsorbs fibrinogen and y-globulin at all.

Protein adsorption on copolymer films having pendant monosaccharide groups was investigated from the viewpoint of surface chemistry. The copolymers were synthesized by the copolymerization of a monomer having a pendant monosaccharide (GEMA) and methyl methacrylate (MMA). The contact angles of methylene iodide and air bubble on the GEMA-MMA copolymer films were measured in water, and the surface free energy of the copolymer films in water was calculated from the contact angles. With increasing GEMA content, the amount of protein adsorbed on the GEMA-MMA copolymer films decreased gradually. The relationship between protein adsorption and the surface free energy of the copolymer films in water is discussed. The difference between surface free energy before and after protein adsorption on the copolymer surface is closely related to the amount of adsorbed protein.

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