Preventing bacterial colonization of biomedical surfaces, ranging from skin grafts to hip implants, is highly desirable. Such a goal can be achieved by coating materials with biocompatible, polymeric layers that release antibiotics in response to a trigger that occurs at the onset of infection, such as locally induced acidification. Here, we explore pH-responsive coatings constructed with ionic fluorinated polyphosphazenes (FPzs). FPzs are promising building blocks for biomaterials due their known biocompatibility and unique structure of the repeat unit, which enables control over charge density and hydrophobicity as well as over the biodegradation rate. Fluorinated FPzs enabled unique, not possible with common polyelectrolytes, direct layer-by-layer assembly with a series of cationic antibiotics on a variety of substrates. The amount of antibiotics bound in the coatings could be tuned by the degree of fluorination of FPzs and/or film thickness. Importantly, coatings did not elute antibiotics at pH 7.4, but released antibiotics in response to presence of bacteria, with doses highly tunable via FPz fluorination degree and/or film thickness. The coatings were able to prevent the onset of bacterial growth in solution via antibiotic release and were also highly surface active. Importantly, by tuning the FPz fluorination degree, coatings with unprecedentedly low hemolytic activity and cytotoxicity could be developed.

Nanocoatings of fluorinated polyphosphazenes for controlled delivery of antibiotics

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.