New Poly(methyl methacrylate)/n-Butyl Acrylate/Pentafluorostyrene/Poly(ethylene glycol) (p-MMA/nBA/PFS/PEG) Colloidal Dispersions: Synthesis, Film Formation, and Protein Adsorption

A new family of water-dispersible colloidal particles composed of poly(methyl methacrylate/n-butyl acerylate/pentafluorostyrene/poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate) (p-MMA/nBA/PFS/PEG) copolymers which coalesce at room temperature was developed using free radical emulsion polymerization. These stable colloidal dispersions contain LIP to 30% w/w PEG and 35% w/w PFS and exhibit core-shell morphologies that consist of the p-MMA/nBA/PFS core and the PEG shelf. Incorporation of PFS not only enhances the inhibition of the protein adsorption but also results in mechanically stable solid polymeric films. Solid-state 2D NMR, internal reflection infrared imaging (IRIRI), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis showed that after coalescence the surface contains PEG-rich components which, combined with fluorinated domains, result in hydrophobic,and hydrophilic segments that inhibit protein adsorption. Adsorption of bovine serum albumin (BSA), lipopolysacharide (Lipopoly), and fibrinogen (Fib) on p-MMA/nBA/PFS and p-MMA/nBA/PFS/PEG (5, 10.20, and 30%) film surfaces revealed that the proteins exhibit higher affinity toward p-MMA/nBA/PFS surfaces, whereas PEG incorporated into p-MMA/nBA/PFS colloidal particles counter this behavior, and the compositional balance between PFS and PEG heterogeneities minimizes the protein adsorption, Incorporation of PFS is essential because when copolymerized, not only helps inhibiting protein adsorption but also facilitates mechanical integrity of the films