Surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization on poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane for antibacterial ability

摘要

Surface-active microporous membranes were prepared from the poly(vinylidene fluoride)-graft-poly(2-(2-bromoisobutyryloxy)ethyl acrylate) copolymer (PVDF-gPBIEA copolymer) by phase inversion in water. The PBIEA side chains could function as initiators for the atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of 2-(N,N-dimethylamino)-ethyl methacrylate on the membrane surfaces to give rise to the PVDF-g-PBIEA-ar-PDMAEMA membranes. N-alkylation with hexyl bromide and nitromethane gave rise to the quanternized PVDF-g-PBIEA-ar-QPDMAEMA membranes with polycation chains chemically tethered on the membrane surface, including the pore surfaces. The changes in the surface morphology and the surface chemical composition were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The scanning electron microscopy revealed that, in comparison to the pristine PVDF-g-PBIEA membranes, not only could the PVDF-gPBIEA-ar-QPDMAEMA membranes remove the Gramnegative bacterium Escherichia coli but also inhibited the bacterial reproduction on the membranes to a significant extent.