Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone)-grafted poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces with tunable microtopography and anti-biofouling properties

Novel antifouling (AF)/fouling release (FR) surfaces based on poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP)-grafted poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) have been developed using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization of N-vinylpyrrolidone (NVP). Grafting was verified by several analytical techniques including attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and water contact angle measurements. The PVP-grafted PDMS surfaces showed excellent protein resistance and very low cell adhesion and bacterial adhesion even after storage in ambient conditions for 30 days. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy revealed that the grafted PVP layers formed regular domain-like microtopographic structures. Moreover, the size of the domains could be tuned by varying the surface mass density of the PVP. The combination of tunable microtopography and AF properties on the same surface provides a novel approach for the preparation of AF/FR surfaces having long-term stability.