Surfaces Resistant to Fouling from Biological Fluids: Towards Bioactive Surfaces for Real Applications

The fouling from four human body fluids blood plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, urine and saliva and four animal fluids foetal bovine and calf sera, egg and milk relevant to human and veterinary medicine, immunology, biology and diagnostics is assessed on antifouling SAMs and on polymer brushes of oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, carboxybetaine acrylamide and N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide synthesized via ATRP. While important deposits from the all biofluids are observed on SAMs, a superior resistance is achieved on polymer brushes. Importantly, only poly(CBAA) and poly(HPMA) are capable of resisting the fouling from the most challenging media, blood plasma and eggs.