Synthesis of Polymer Brushes Via SI‐PET‐RAFT for Photodynamic Inactivation of Bacteria

Abstract

Biofilms are a persistent issue in healthcare and industry. Once formed, the eradication of biofilms is challenging as the extracellular polymeric matrix provides protection against harsh environmental conditions and physically enhances resistance to antimicrobials. The fabrication of polymer brush coatings provides a versatile approach to modify the surface to resist the formation of biofilms. Herein, the authors report a facile synthetic route for the preparation of surface‐tethered polymeric brushes with antifouling and visible light activated bactericidal properties using surface‐initiated photoinduced electron transfer‐reversible addition‐fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (SI‐PET‐RAFT). Bactericidal property via the generation of singlet oxygen, which can be temporally and spatially controlled, is investigated against both Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria. In addition, the antibacterial properties of the surface can be recycled. This work paves the way for the preparation of polymer films that can resist and kill bacterial biofilms

An aqueous photo-controlled polymerization under NIR wavelengths: synthesis of polymeric nanoparticles through thick barriers

“…Photoinduced reversible deactivation radical polymerization (photo-RDRP) 1–58 techniques enable the production of polymers with low dispersity and defined architectures and provide a high degree of spatio–temporal reaction control. As a useful photo-RDRP variant, photoinduced reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (photo-RAFT) polymerization process 26–58 often uses ppm range photocatalysts (PCs) to activate RAFT agents under visible light without the need for deoxygenation. 48–52 Although photo-RDRP systems that use visible light ( λ = 400–700 nm) are well-established, systems regulated by near-infrared light (NIR, λ = 700–2500 nm) are still rare.…”

Polycarbonate Surface Modification via Aqueous SI-PET-RAFT

“…SI-PET-RAFT is a versatile polymerization system that has recently been employed to address a broad range of applications from photolithography 21 to organic LEDs 22 to anti-biofouling. 23,24 The more recently developed aqueous SI-PET-RAFT 14 is an ideal approach to versatile PC surface modification specifically due to its mild aqueous conditions and use of visible light, avoiding organic solvents as well as UV and thermal initiation sources that could otherwise damage the PC substrate. 25…”

Surface-Immobilized Photoinitiators for Light Induced Polymerization and Coupling Reactions

“…), the authors pointed out that this benchtop methodology provides a high throughput approach for the identification and evaluation of polymer brush structure-property-performance relationships [ 12 ]. One year later the same group prepared a polymer brush with antifouling and visible light triggered bactericidal properties, on circular glass substrate using the same bifunctional RAFT agent ( Figure 14 A) [ 161 ].…”