Bactericidal Ability of Well-Controlled Cationic Polymer Brush Surfaces and the Interaction Analysis by Quartz Crystal Microbalance with Dissipation

Langmuir. 2023 Nov 21;39(46):16522-16531. doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c02472. Epub 2023 Nov 6.

Abstract

In this study, cationic poly(2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl) trimethylammonium chloride) (PMTAC) brush surfaces were prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP), and their properties were systematically investigated to discuss the factors affecting their bactericidal properties and interactions with proteins. Model equations for the analysis of electrophoretic behaviors were considered for accurate parameter estimation to indicate the charge density at the interface. The zeta potential dependency of the PMTAC brushes was successfully analyzed using Smolchowski's equation and the Gouy-Chapman model, which describes the diffusive electric double layer. The analysis of the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) indicated that the electrostatic interaction promoted protein adsorption, with a large quantity of a negatively charged protein, bovine serum albumin (BSA), being adsorbed. The bactericidal efficiency of the high-graft-density polymer brush (0.45 chains nm-2) was higher than that of the low-graft-density polymer brush (0.06 chains nm-2). To investigate the mechanism of this phenomenon, we applied the dissipation change (ΔD) of QCM-D analysis. The BSA was likewise adsorbed when the brush structure was changed; however, the negative ΔD indicated that the BSA-adsorbed, high-graft-density PMTAC brush became a rigid state. In the bacteria culture media, the behaviors were the same as BSA adsorption, and the high-graft-density polymer brush was also estimated to be more rigid than the low-graft-density polymer brush. Moreover, for S. aureus adhesion after incubating in TSB, a small slope of ΔDF plots considered initial adsorption of bacteria on the high-graft-density polymer brush strongly interacted compared to that of the low-graft-density polymer brush. The scattered value of the slope of ΔDF on the high-graft-density polymer brush was considered to be due to the dead bacteria between the bacteria and the polymer brush interface. These investigations for a well-defined cationic polymer brush will contribute to the design of antibacterial surfaces.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adsorption
  • Polymers* / chemistry
  • Quartz Crystal Microbalance Techniques*
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine / chemistry
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Polymers
  • Serum Albumin, Bovine