Protein‐resistant polyurethane by sequential grafting of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) via surface‐initiated ATRP

Protein-resistant polyurethane (PU) surfaces were prepared by sequentially grafting poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (poly(HEMA)) and poly(oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (poly(OEGMA)) via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (s-ATRP). The chain lengths of poly(HEMA) and poly(OEGMA) were regulated via the ratio of monomer to sacrificial initiator in solution. The surfaces were characterized by water contact angle and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The protein resistant properties of the surfaces were assessed by single and binary adsorption experiments with fibrinogen (Fg), lysozyme (Lys), and lactalbumin (Lac). The adsorption of all three proteins on the sequentially grafted poly(HEMA)-poly(OEGMA) surfaces (PU/PH/PO) was greatly reduced compared with the unmodified PU. Adsorption decreased with increasing poly(OEGMA) chain length. On the PU/PH/PO surface with longest poly(OEGMA) chain length (∼100), the decrease in Lys adsorption was in the range of 95-98% and the decrease in Fg and Lac adsorption was >99% compared with the unmodified PU. Adsorption from binary protein solutions showed that the PU/PH/PO surfaces resisted these proteins more or less equally, that is, independent of protein size.