Antifouling Stripes Prepared from Clickable Zwitterionic Copolymers

In this study, we have fabricated robust patterned surfaces that contain biocompatible and antifouling stripes, which cause microorganisms to consolidate into bare silicon spaces. Copolymers of methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) and a methacrylate-substituted dihydrolipoic acid (DHLA) were spin-coated onto silicon substrates. The MPC units contributed biocompatibility and antifouling properties, while the DHLA units enabled crosslinking and the formation of robust thin films. Photolithography enabled the formation of 200 μm wide poly(MPC-DHLA) stripped patterns that were characterized using atomic force microscopy (AFM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and rhodamine 6G staining. Regardless of the spacing between the poly(MPC-DHLA) stripes (10, 50, or 100 μm) Escherichia coli (E. coli) rapidly adhered to the bare silicon gaps that lacked the copolymer, confirming the antifouling nature of MPC. Overall, this work provides a surface modification strategy to generate alternating bio-fouling and non-fouling surface structures that are potentially applicable for researchers studying cell biology, drug screening, and biosensor technology.