Synthesis of N-oxide Series Polymer Brushes with Superior Hydrophilicity and Antifouling Properties
발표자
오정빈 (충남대학교)
연구책임자
조우경 (충남대학교)
초록
내용
Surfaces that resist nonspecific protein and cell adhesion are crucial for biomedical devices and implants. Trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO), a natural osmolyte found in marine organisms, exhibits remarkable hydration capability due to its zwitterionic structure, characterized closely spaced positive and negative charges without a hydrocarbon spacer. Inspired by TMAO’s hydration behavior, we developed N-oxide-based polymer brushes as antifouling coatings. In this study, we synthesized four TMAO-inspired N-oxide monomers and fabricated polymer brush coatings via surface-initiated ARGET ATRP (activator regenerated by electron transfer atom transfer radical polymerization). Antifouling performance was evaluated via antibacterial assays against S. aureus and E. coli. The resulting N-oxide polymer brushes demonstrated exceptional hydration and resistance to biofouling, highlighting their potential as next-generation antifouling coatings for biomedical applications.