Novel surface modification technique for chemically inert polymers for medical and biomedical applications

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Thermoplastic polymers such as poly(ethylene terephthalate) and polypropylene are flexible, resilient, durable, and resist biological degradation. It is these properties that make such polymers desirable for medical uses such as surgical drapes, sutures, vascular grafts and ligament prostheses. However, the hydrophobic surfaces of these polymers can cause medical complications such as thrombosis when their use brings them in contact with blood, or when they are implanted into the human body. Often certain specific applications, such as surgical drapes, will require specialized functions such as antimicrobial surfaces to decrease the possibility of cross-infection in hospitals. Therefore, surface property engineering to either add functions to the substrate polymers or to improve their biocompatibility becomes an important task in the field of medical textiles, biomaterials and biomedical science. The proposed study will develop a novel non-destructive, effective and efficient modification technique for chemically inert thermoplastic polymers. Polymers with functional groups, such as hydroxyls, will be immobilized onto the surfaces of thermoplastic polymers by the formation of an interpenetrating network. To further engineer the surface property, polymer brush architectures can be attached to the surface using a "grafting from" technique after converting the immobilized functional group into proper co-initiator or initiator. Experimental techniques will be explored for the characterization of the formed interpenetrating network and the results correlated to the immobilization efficiency and surface property of the modified materials. The proposed study will lead to a breakthrough in the science of surface modification of chemically inert polymeric materials, which is essential for their applications as medical textiles, biomaterials, and medical devices. The results of the studies can also be used to provide technical support to industries providing protective equipments, medical devices and biomaterials. The proposed work will lead to the training of highly qualified personnel with interdisciplinary skills in Polymer Chemistry, Analytic Chemistry, Medical Textile and Biomaterial Science.