Combinational
Biomimicking of Lotus Leaf, Mussel, and Sandcastle Worm for Robust
Superhydrophobic Surfaces with Biomedical Multifunctionality: Antithrombotic,
Antibiofouling, and Tissue Closure Capabilities
posted on 2019-02-20, 00:00authored byKiduk Han, Tae Yoon Park, Kijung Yong, Hyung Joon Cha
Surface wetting occurring in
daily life causes undesired contaminations, which are critical issues
in various fields. To solve these problems, the nonwetting property
of a superhydrophobic (SH) surface has proven its utility by preventing
contaminant infiltration, serious infections, or malfunction. However,
the application of SH surfaces in the biomedical field has been limited
due to the weak durability and toxicity of the related components.
To overcome these limitations, we developed a robust and biocompatible
SH surface through combinational biomimicking of three natural organisms,
lotus leaf, mussel, and sandcastle worm, for the first time. Using
the water-immiscible and polycationic characteristics of mussel adhesive
protein (iMglue), an SH iMglue-SiO2(TiO2/SiO2)2 coating was fabricated by solution-based electrical
charge-controlled layer-by-layer growth of nanoparticles (NPs). The
fabricated iMglue-SiO2(TiO2/SiO2)2 SH surface showed excellent durable nonwetting properties
and was applied to an intracatheter tube coating to develop antithrombotic
catheters under blood flow. Furthermore, we developed a iMglue-employed
SH patch for a tissue closure bandage by spraying hydrophobic SiO2 NPs on the iMglue-covered cotton pads. The prepared iMglue-employing
SH patch showed perfect bifunctionality with excellent antibiofouling
and tissue closure capabilities. Our work presents a novel, useful
strategy for fabricating a biomedically multifunctional, robust SH
surface through combinational mimicking of natural organisms.