First Observation of the Hydration Layer around Polymer Chain by Scattering and Its Relationship to Thromboresistance: Dilute Solution Properties of PMEA in THF/Water

Poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA) is known to exhibit excellent thromboresistance, i.e., hardly causing blood-clot formation on its surface. Hence, PMEA and its analogues have been commercially used for blood-contacting materials in medical devices. In this study, we investigated the conformation and solvation state of PMEA in mixtures of tetrahydrofuran (THF) and water with various water volume fractions (ϕwater) by viscosity, sedimentation equilibrium, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and dielectric relaxation measurements. We also comparatively investigated those of poly[2-(2-methoxyethoxy)ethyl methacrylate] (PMe2MA) and polystyrene (PS). For all of these, THF is a good solvent and water is a nonsolvent or poor solvent. PMe2MA and PMEA show equally good thromboresistance, while PS does not at all. The solution properties of PMe2MA and PMEA were found to be quite different from PS. There are clear attractive interactions (or correlation) between the PMEA chain (or PMe2MA) and the waters in the vicinity of the chain despite their water insolubility. These correlated waters give additional scattering and the angular dependence of SAXS was analyzed in terms of the hydration layer model that has been used in protein solution scattering. The hydration is related to increasing both the chain stiffness and excluded volume. These distinctive properties are likely related to the origin of its good thromboresistance.