Endowing antibacterial ability to poly(ε-caprolactone) by blending with cationic − zwitterionic copolymers for biomedical purposes

Biocompatible poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) was definitely endowed with antibacterial efficiency via blending with cationic − zwitterionic block copolymers of 2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate and sulfobetaine methacrylate (pDMA-b-pSBMA). The involved pDMA-b-pSBMA, obtained via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, was prominent with well-defined structure and efficient antibacterial ability. In dip coatable PCL/pDMA-b-pSBMA blends, the zwitterionic moiety was detected prior in migration towards the surface, which favored passive function of anti-bacterial adhesion. The antibacterial abilities of the blends against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were significant, which evolved with the surface morphology, composition and wettability, and were demonstrated with membrane disruption and/or permeabilization mechanism. The relative cell viability of the surface for vascular smooth muscle cells was around 80%, while the hemolysis of all the blends was lower than 2%. Derived from popular matrix of PCL and cationic − zwitterionic copolymer, the blends are endowed with antibacterial ability as well as biocompatibility, presenting potential for biomedical devices.