Slippery Liquid-Attached Surface for Robust Biofouling Resistance

Authors:
Publisher website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Materials for biodevices and bioimplants commonly suffer from unwanted but unavoidable biofouling problems due to the nonspecific adhesion of proteins, cells or bacteria. Chemical coating or physical strategies for reducing biofouling have been pursued, yet highly robust anti-biofouling surfaces that can persistently resist contamination in biological environments are still lacking. In this study, we developed a facile method to fabricate a highly robust slippery and anti-biofouling surface by conjugating a liquid-like polymer layer to a substrate. This slippery liquid-attached (SLA) surface was created via a one-step equilibration reaction by tethering methoxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS-OCH3) polymer brushes onto a substrate to form a transparent “liquid-like” layer. The SLA surface exhibited excellent sliding behaviors toward a wide range of liquids and small particles and anti-biofouling properties against the long-term adhesion of small biomolecules, proteins, cells and bacteria. Moreover, in contrast to superomniphobic surfaces and liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) requiring micro-/nanostructures, the SLA layer could be obtained on smooth surfaces and maintain its biofouling resistance under abrasion with persistent stability. Our study offers a simple method to functionalize surfaces with robust slippery and anti-biofouling properties, which is promising for potential applications including medical implants and biodevices.
Funding Information
  • Sun Yat-sen University (76120-18821104)
  • National Natural Science Foundation of China (31530023, 51705543, 61771498, 81570889)
  • Guangdong Province (2017B090917001)
  • Science and Technology Program of Guangzhou (201803010097)
  • Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China

This publication has 41 references indexed in Scilit: