Highly protein-resistant coatings and suspension cell culture thereon from amphiphilic block copolymers prepared by RAFT polymerization.

Novel amphiphilic block copolymers composed of hydrophobic (poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate): M) and hydrophilic (poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide): D) segments were synthesized by living radical polymerization: a reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization. Two types of amphiphilic block copolymers, triblock (MDM) and 4-arm block ((MD)4) copolymers with specific compositions (D/M = (750-1500)/250), were prepared by a versatile one-pot synthesis. These copolymers show good adhesion to various types of substrates (e.g., polystyrene, polycarbonate, polypropylene, Ti, and glass), and the surface coating showed high protein repellency and a low contact angle for water, regardless of the substrate. The two opposing characteristics of high protein repellency and good substrate adhesion were achieved by the combined effects of the molecular architecture of the block copolymers, the high molecular weight, and the characteristics of each segment, that is, low protein adsorption capability of both segments and low glass transition temperature of the hydrophobic segment. Further, a polystyrene dish coated with the MDM block copolymer could be sterilized by γ-ray irradiation and used as a good substrate for a suspension cell culture that exhibits low cell adhesion and good cell growth.