(245g) Zwitterion-Containing Copolymers Reduce Bacterial Adhesion in Dental Environments

Bacterial attachment is a consistent problem affecting a wide range of biomedical interfaces, including wound healing and dental infections. The decreased use of antibacterial agents necessitates more biocompatible, antifouling polymer coatings that do not spread antibiotic-resistance genes. Here, we report the synthesis of new copolymers that formed antifouling coatings on multiple surfaces, including porous hydroxyapatite. Specifically, we systematically investigated how altering the composition of copolymers containing catechol methacrylate-poly(methacryloxyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine) and catechol methacrylate-polyMPC-methacrylic acid impacted their adhesive and antifouling properties, allowing for the smart design of functional coatings. Polymer coatings were characterized using ellipsometry, contact angle, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, revealing that these copolymers formed uniform, hydrophilic coatings that were 10 nanometers-thin. Notably, the copolymer coatings self-adhered to hydroxyapatite and reduced the attachment of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus oralis without killing the microorganisms. Additionally, experiments that mimicked the mouth environment (i.e., swallowing) were employed to evaluate Streptococcus oralis adhesion, which was reduced and deemed reversible adhesion by these copolymer coatings. This study evaluated the effect of varying the amount of adhesive and antifouling groups on the efficacy of in-house synthesized antifouling coatings. We suggest that these novel copolymers could enable the smart design of antifouling surface coatings for medical and dental applications.