Mussel-Inspired Multivalent Linear Polyglycerol Coatings Outperform Monovalent Polyethylene Glycol Coatings in Antifouling Surface Properties

Biofouling constitutes a major challenge in the application of biosensors and biomedical implants, as well as for (food) packaging and marine equipment. In this work, an antifouling surface coating based on the combination of mussel-inspired dendritic polyglycerol (MI-dPG) and an amine-functionalized block copolymer of linear polyglycerol (lPG–b–OA₁₁, OA = oligo-amine) was developed. The coating was compared to a MI-dPG surface which was postfunctionalized with commercially available amine-terminated polyethylene glycol (HO–PEG–NH₂) of similar molecular weight. In the current work, these coatings were compared in their chemical stability, protein fouling characteristics, and cell fouling characteristics. The lPG–b–OA₁₁-functionalized coating showed high chemical stability in both phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solutions and reduced the adhesion of fibrinogen from human plasma with 99% and the adhesion of human serum albumin with 96%, in comparison to the bare titanium dioxide substrate. Furthermore, the proliferation of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) was reduced with 85% when the lPG–b–OA₁₁ system was compared to bare titanium dioxide. Additionally, a reduction of 94% was observed when the lPG–b–OA₁₁ system was compared to tissue culture polystyrene.