Tunable Protein Adsorption by Zwitterionic Spherical Poly(CBAA) Brushes Prepared via Photoemulsion Polymerization

Abstract

Zwitterionic polymer brushes are well-known as excellent hydrophilic and antifouling materials. However, they demonstrate a certain degree of adsorption for proteins and other substances in practical application, and little research has been conducted into this area. Herein, a facile and efficient approach was employed to prepare zwitterionic spherical polymer brushes, polystyrene-poly­(2-carboxy-N,N-dimethyl-N-(3′-acrylamidopropyl) ethanaminium inner salt) brushes (PS–PCBAA brushes). Specifically, the preparation process consists of three steps. First, polystyrene (PS) nanospheres were synthesized via conventional emulsion polymerization, and then photoinitiator with terminal double bond was immobilized on the surface of the PS core by copolymerizing with styrene (PS@HMEM). Finally, zwitterionic polymer chains (PCBAA) were grafted onto the surface of PS@HMEM via photoemulsion polymerization. The hydrodynamic diameter and size distribution, morphology, and chemical composition of PS–PCBAA brushes were characterized. The interaction between PS–PCBAA brushes and proteins was investigated by turbidity and size change. The interaction between brushes and proteins was mainly affected by two factors: the electrostatic interaction between polymer chains and proteins, and the transition of zwitterionic polymers from a fouling polymer to a nonfouling polymer. This work provided a simple and environmentally friendly method for constructing zwitterionic materials that showed potential application in the controllable adsorption and desorption of proteins.

Bifunctional Polymer Brush Reactor for In Situ Synthesis of Hollow Silica-Supported Gold Nanocatalysts

“…Polymer brushes, which consist of colloidal polymer cores and grafted polyelectrolyte chains, are a kind of versatile platform for various applications, such as catalysis, − protein absorption/separation, , and ion detection . As a result of their unique core–shell structure and outstanding confine ability of counterions, polymer brushes have been proven as ideal supports for a variety of metal nanoparticles, like Au, Ag, Pt, and MnO 2 . − As demonstrated, besides stabilizing metal nanoparticles and maintaining their high dispersion, polymer brushes can also act as nanoreactors for the catalytic reaction of functional materials.…”

Continuous Two-Step Synthesis of PS@HMEM Core–Shell Nanoparticles via Emulsion Polymerization in Microreactors

“…Spherical polyelectrolyte brushes (SPBs), which comprise dense polyelectrolyte chains on solid substrates, have been demonstrated as a novel type of nanomaterials for various applications, such as protein controllable adsorption, − nanocatalysis, − ion detection, and other fields . The polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles covered with well-distributed photoinitiator 2-[ p -(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropiopenone)]-ethylene glycol methacrylate (HMEM) shells (PS@HMEM) are commonly employed as substrate materials to graft polyelectrolyte chains by emulsion polymerization.…”