Charged Polymer Brushes: Design, Synthesis and Microbiological Evaluation

Abstract

Interfering with the initial attachment processes of microorganisms to surfaces is a critical step in developing anti-adhesive (antifouling) and antibacterial material surfaces. In particular, the variation of polarity and charge on biofilm-associated surfaces enables the targeted modification of cell-surface interactions. The necessary chemical functionalization of the material surfaces, their analysis and microbiological evaluation are challenging. In addition, the interactions of microorganisms with the functionalized surfaces are insufficiently understood. The present work describes the synthesis and systematic investigation of charged polymer brushes on biofilm-relevant surfaces in this context.