Antifouling PVC Catheters by Gamma Radiation-Induced Zwitterionic Polymer Grafting

Abstract

In medical environments, polymeric surfaces tend to become contaminated, hindering the treatment and recovery from diseases. Biofouling-resistant materials, such as zwitterionic polymers, may mitigate this problem. In this work, the modification of PVC catheters with a binary graft of 4-vinylpyridine (4VP) and sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA) by the oxidative pre-irradiation method is proposed to develop pH-responsive catheters with an antifouling capacity. The ionizing radiation allowed us to overcome limitations in the synthesis associated with the monomer characteristics. In addition, the grafted materials showed a considerable increase in their hydrophilic character and antifouling capacity, significantly decreasing the protein adsorption compared to the unmodified catheters. These materials have potential for the development of a combined antimicrobial and antifouling capabilities system to enhance prophylactic activity or even to help treat infections.

“Functional upcycling” of polymer waste towards the design of new materials

“…PVC surface modification is represented by a range of physical and chemical methods such as plasma 253 and flame treatment, 254 UV-irradiation, 246 gamma rays, 248,255–257 corona 258 and glow 247 discharge, atomic layer or vapor deposition, 259,260 grafting, 261 and nucleophilic substitution on the surface of the material 262 (Fig. 8 and Table 3).…”

“…Upcycled PVC can be used as containers for storage 205 because of the ability to reduce leaching additives. 280,296 In particular, treatment of PVC with g-rays facilitates grafting of various polymers on the PVC surface to enhance the bactericidal (Table 3(4)) 255 and antifouling properties (Table 3(4)), 257 while reducing bacterial adhesion (Table 3(4)). 248 Furthermore, oxygen glow discharge reduces bacterial adhesion via the generation of -COOH and -OH groups (Table 3(5)).…”

Poly(sulfobetaine) versus poly(ethylene glycol) based copolymer modified polyurethane catheters for antifouling

“…Consequently, this can give rise to infections, allergies, and inflammatory reactions and result in thrombosis. [8][9][10] To address the aforementioned issues, a viable and efficacious approach involving surface modification of medical catheter materials using hydrophilic substances such as chitosan, 11 heparin, 12 polyethylene glycol (PEG), 13 zwitterionic [14][15][16] polymers, and mixed-charge pseudo-zwitterionic 17,18 polymers is applied. The zwitterionic polymers possess electrical neutrality and can form a stable hydration layer on the material surface by solvating a large number of water molecules through ion solvation.…”

Biofouling reduction of EPDM by radiation‐assisted modification for water environment applications

“…The impact of surface wettability and surface morphology on biofouling has been extensively studied. [20][21][22][23][24] Tuning the physical and chemical surface properties is an efficient strategy for preventing biofouling. There are several methods used to modify surfaces.…”

“…The surface features of the membrane, such as morphology, functionality, wettability, and surface charge, are critical in biofilm formation. The impact of surface wettability and surface morphology on biofouling has been extensively studied 20–24 . Tuning the physical and chemical surface properties is an efficient strategy for preventing biofouling.…”