Vinyl Dimethyl Azlactone-Containing Copolymers: Towards Bio-Inspired Surfaces/Polymer-Protein Conjugates

Abstract

Stimuli-responsive, vinyl dimethyl azlactone/vinyl pyrrolidone (VDMA/VP) copolymers have been prepared using free radical polymerization techniques. These copolymers are subsequently the basis for the design of polymer brushes where the system is composed of a polystyrene (PS) block and a VDMA/VP copolymer block. Copolymers have been prepared using reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization technique. Using a solvent that is selective for the VDMA/VP block, these PS-block-P[VDMA/VP] copolymers can be preferentially adsorbed at the solid-fluid interface through the PS block to form a polymer "brush". Because VDMA is known to quantitatively react with amines, exposure of the copolymer to a solution containing amino acids (e.g. glycine) yields a bio-functionalized polymer brush. In this paper we will report on the synthesis and characterization of VDMA/VP copolymers including compositional analysis using FTIR and NMR spectroscopies.