(721b) Novel Zwitterionic Macro-Crosslinker Enhancing Durability of Non-Fouling Coating

For many applications involving surface exposure to biomolecules and microorganisms, biofouling is a serious problem that causes implantable device failure and unwanted microorganism attachment. Recently, surface modification with non-fouling polymers has been utilized to overcome the biofouling problem. Encouraging
results have been obtained in various applications in different traditional substrates such as anti-thrombosis polyurethane catheters and coatings on metal ship hull to resist marine fouling by using non-fouling zwitterionic polymers. Zwitterionic polymer coatings are super-hydrophilic and attract a dense layer of water molecules to resist non-specific protein binding and bacteria adhesion. Many methods have been involved in fabricating zwitterionic coatings. Nevertheless, the resulting zwitterionic polymer coatings are typically unstable with only short-term function, regardless of how they are immobilized on the surface. A novel zwitterionic macro-crosslinker was developed and applied to fabricate durable non-fouling coatings on a polyurethane substrate. The zwitterionic macro-crosslinker coating exhibited superior durability over the traditional brush polymer coating and was able to retain its non-fouling property even after weeks of shearing in flowing liquid.