Protein resistant surfaces: Comparison of acrylate graft polymers bearing oligo-ethylene oxide and phosphorylcholine side chains

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Abstract
The objective of this work was to compare poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and phosphorylcholine (PC) moieties as surface modifiers with respect to their ability to inhibit protein adsorption. Surfaces were prepared by graft polymerization of the methacrylate monomers oligo(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA, MW 300, PEG side chains of length n=4.5) and 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC, MW295). The grafted polymers thus contained short PEG chains and PC, respectively, as side groups. Grafting on silicon was carried out using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). Graft density was controlled via the surface density of the ATRP initiator, and chain length of the grafts was controlled via the ratio of monomer to sacrificial initiator. The grafted surfaces were characterized by water contact angle, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The effect of graft density and chain length on fibrinogen adsorption from buffer was investigated usin...