Nonfouling biomaterials based on polyethylene oxide‐containing amphiphilic triblock copolymers as surface modifying additives: Synthesis and characterization of copolymers and surface properties of copolymer–polyurethane blends

Abstract

The objective of this work is to develop nonfouling biomaterials by blending polyethylene oxide (PEO)‐containing block copolymers with a polyurethane (PU) matrix; it is expected that the PEO component will migrate to the tissue‐material interface. Three amphiphilic triblock copolymers, PEO‐PU‐PEO, in which the PEO MW was 550 (copolymer 1), 2000 (copolymer 2), and 5000 (copolymer 3), respectively, were synthesized. XPS data showed that the polymer/vacuum interfaces of copolymers 2 and 3 were enriched in the PU block, whereas that of copolymer 1 was enriched in the PEO block. In contact with water, the PEO blocks for all three copolymers migrated to the surface as indicated by water contact angles. Blends of the copolymers with a segmented polyurethane were investigated. Surface enrichment of the copolymers occurred and increased over time up to a limit; the degree of enrichment was dependent on PEO block size and copolymer content. At copolymer content <10%, enrichment decreased with increasing PEO block size. For the copolymer 2 and copolymer 3 blends, enrichment increased with increasing copolymer content; at 20% copolymer the surfaces consisted essentially of pure copolymer. For the copolymer 1 blends, the surface was completely covered by copolymer at content ≥ 1%. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008

Non-fouling biomaterials based on blends of polyethylene oxide copolymers and polyurethane: simultaneous measurement of platelet adhesion and fibrinogen adsorption from flowing whole blood

“…Surface properties of these materials including water contact angle and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were reported previously [18].…”

“…It was synthesized using a two-step method with methylene di-p-phenyl diisocyanate, polytetramethylene oxide (PTMO, molecular weight [MW] 980) as soft segment, and ethylene diamine as chain extender. The synthesis and surface characterization of this material have been described elsewhere [18]. Also as described in earlier papers [18][19][20], three symmetrical triblock copolymers with the same centre PU block (MW 4750) and different PEO end blocks (MW 550, 2000, and 5000) were synthesized.…”

“…It is of interest to consider the platelet and fibrinogen interactions in whole blood in relation to the surface chemistry of the blends. Surface enrichment of the copolymers may be estimated in terms of 'percent coverage' as derived from XPS data on surface oxygen content [18]. Table 1 shows copolymer coverage, along with reduction in fibrinogen adsorption (from Fig.…”

“…The additives are amphiphilic triblock copolymers, PEO-PU-PEO, the middle segment of which has a structure similar to the PU matrix. These hydrophilic, amphipathic additives have been shown to migrate to the surface in aqueous contact [18], and the terminal PEO blocks have been shown to provide exceptional protein resistance [19,20].…”

Biocides for the Battlefield - Interim Report

“…The rational design of effective self-decontaminating surfaces has been the goal of a number of research groups, [12][13][14][15][16] and a variety of methods for the surface-modification of polymeric materials have been utilized towards the synthesis of antimicrobial coatings for use in hospitals and in defense of biological weapons. 17 The use of biocidal additives in paints and coatings imparts antimicrobial properties without the need for complex or costly post-manufacturing steps associated with surface-modifying post-treatments.…”