Self-Initiated Surface Graft Polymerization of 2-Methacryloyloxyethyl Phosphorylcholine on Poly(ether ether ketone) by Photoirradiation

In the present paper, we reported the fabrication of a highly hydrophilic nanometer-scale modified surface on a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) substrate by photoinduced graft polymerization of 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) in the absence of photoinitiators. Photoirradiation results in the generation of semibenzopinacol-containing radicals of benzophenone units in the PEEK molecular structure, which acts as a photoinitiator during graft polymerization. The poly(MPC)-grafted PEEK surface fabricated by a novel and simple polymerization system exhibited unique characteristics such as high wettability and high antiprotein adsorption, which makes it highly suitable for medical applications.