Amphiphilic Fouling-Resistant Surfaces Based on Janus Particles

• Applicants: Privatdozentin Dr. Alla Synytska; Professor Dr. Carsten Werner
• Subject Area: Polymer Materials ; Biomaterials ; Preparatory and Physical Chemistry of Polymers
• Term: from 2019 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 427156823

Biofilm formation on materials surfaces – biofouling – has significant economic impact on a wide range of applications and industries. Fouling-resistant surfaces were recently demonstrated to be accessible from coatings of block copolymers that combine hydrophilic and hydrophobic components and form nano-scaled chemical domains with opposing surface energies (amphiphilic surfaces). However, in this approach neither the topography (a parameter that is known to strongly influence biofouling) nor the size and spacing of the chemical domains can be efficiently controlled and/or varied. Systematically exploring the effect of chemical domain size and topography of amphiphilic surfaces on biofouling could shed light on the interplay of these parameters on bioadhesion processes and provide unprecedented levels of fouling resistance.The proposed project therefore aims at introducing a new, scalable strategy for the design of amphiphilic surfaces with controlled fouling resistance using polymer-functionalized colloidal particles as surface-immobilized building blocks. Surfaces will be fabricated using either particles with hydrophilic and hydrophobic polymeric shells at their opposing sides (Janus particles) or mixtures of particles homogeneously coated with hydrophilic or hydrophobic polymers. By varying the size of the particles (50 – 1000 nm), surfaces featuring both chemical domain sizes from the nano- to the micrometer scale and a defined nano- to micro-rough topography can be prepared. The ability of the developed surfaces to inhibit adhesion of different bacterial species will be tested using high throughput bulk- as well as single cell-assays. The combination of these methods will facilitate the rapid and efficient identification of optimal particle parameter combinations, will help to further optimize the fouling-resistant performance of the designed surfaces and will gain mechanistic insight in the currently ill-defined working principle of amphiphilic surfaces. The experimental data will finally allow for developing a model to explain (and generalize) synergistic chemical and topographic effects that determine the non-adhesive performance of the particle-based surfaces. The project combines complementary expertise of two scientific groups in (i.) particle preparation and polymer/particle hybrid materials (Synytska) and (ii.) bio-functional polymeric materials and their use in the control of biointerfacial phenomena (Friedrichs/Werner). The ultimate goal of the proposed project is to pave the way for the rational design of robust and scalable fouling-resistant surfaces.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants