One-step surface modification of polyurethane using affinity binding peptides for enhanced fouling resistance

Affinity binding peptides were examined for surface fabrication of synthetic polymeric materials. Peptides possessing strong binding affinities toward polyurethane (PU) were discovered via biopanning of M13 phage peptide library. The apparent binding constant (K-app) was as high as 2.68x10(9)M(-1) with surface peptide density exceeded 1.8g/cm(2). Structural analysis showed that the ideal peptide had a high content (75%) of H-donor amino acid residues, and that intensified hydrogen bond interaction was the key driving force for the highly stable binding of peptides on PU. PU treated with such affinity peptides promises applications as low-fouling materials, as peptides increased its wettability and substantially reduced protein adsorption and cell adhesion. These results demonstrated a facile but highly efficient one-step strategy for surface property modification of polymeric materials for biotechnological applications.