A critical challenge in the field of biomaterials is the often undesirable, but immediate, coating of implants with nonspecifically adsorbed proteins upon contact with bodily fluids. Prior research has shown that overall neutral materials containing a homologous arrangement of mixed charges exhibit nonfouling properties. This has been widely demonstrated for zwitterionic materials and more recently for coatings containing an equimolar mixture of positively and negatively charged monomer subunits. In this investigation it is demonstrated that nonfouling hydrogels can be formed through this approach, and the physical properties of the resulting materials are thoroughly characterized. In particular, hydrogels were formed from mixtures of [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (TM) and 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SA) monomers with varying concentrations of a triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) cross-linker. The swelling, weight percentage water, surface zeta potential, and compressional properties of the gels were characterized, and the nonfouling properties were demonstrated using enzyme-linked immunosorbant assays for both negatively charged fibrinogen and positively charged lysozyme. The results confirm that the TM:SA hydrogel systems have nonfouling properties that are equivalent to established nonfouling controls. Additionally, even though the gels were resistant to nonspecific protein adsorption, a composition analysis suggests that there is room to further improve the nonfouling performance because there is a slight enrichment of the SA monomer relative to the TM monomer.
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 © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.