(443a) Development of Highly Biocompatible and Environmentally Benign Zwitterionic Materials

An important challenge in many applications is the prevention of unwanted nonspecific biomolecular and microorganism attachment on surfaces. Biofouling greatly compromises the performance of many devices from medical implants to ship hull coatings. To address this challenge, our goals are twofold. First, we strive to provide a fundamental understanding of nonfouling mechanisms at the molecular level. Second, we aim to develop highly biocompatible and environmentally benignmaterials based on the molecular principles learned. As a result, we have demonstrated that zwitterionic materials and surfaces are highly resistant to nonspecific protein adsorption and microorganism attachment from complex media. Typical zwitterionic materials include poly(carboxybetaine), poly(sulfobetaine), poly(trimethylamine N-oxide), and glutamic acid (E) and lysine (K)-containing poly(peptides). Unlike poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG), there exist diversified zwitterionic molecular structures to accommodate various properties and applications.

In this talk, I will first discuss fundamental design principles regarding how different types of hydrophilic materials, structures of zwitterionic materials, coating densities and contact media affect the performance of nonfouling materials. I will then discuss fouling-release properties achieved by several unique materials beyond nonfouling. I will highlight several applications of zwitterionic materials and their derivatives to implants, stem cell cultures, medical devices, drug delivery carriers, membranes, and marine coatings. Finally, I will point out several areas to consider to move the field forward.