Dual-Functional Polyethylene Glycol-b-polyhexanide Surface Coating with in Vitro and in Vivo Antimicrobial and Antifouling Activities

In recent years, microbial colonization on the surface of biomedical implants/devices has become a severe threat to human health. Herein, surface-immobilized guanidine derivative block copolymers create an antimicrobial and antifouling dual-functional coating. We report the preparation of an antimicrobial and antifouling block copolymer by the conjugation of polyhexanide (PHMB) with either allyl glycidyl ether or allyloxy polyethylene glycol (APEG; MW 1200 and 2400). The allyl glycidyl ether modified PHMB (A-PHMB) and allyloxy polyethylene glycol_1200/2400 modified PHMB (APEG_1200/2400-PHMB) copolymers were grafted onto a silicone rubber surface as a bottlebrush-like coating, respectively, using a plasma-UV-assisted surface-initiated polymerization. Both A-PHMB and APEG_1200/2400-PHMB coatings exhibited excellent broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties against Gram-negative/positive bacteria and fungi. The APEG₂₄₀₀-PHMB coating displayed an improved antibiofilm as well as antifouling properties and a long reusable cycle, compared with two other coatings, due to its abundant PEG blocks among those copolymers. Also, the APEG₂₄₀₀-PHMB-coated silicone coupons were biocompatible toward mammalian cells, as revealed by in vitro hemocompatibile and cytotoxic assays. An in vivo study showed a significant decline of Escherichia coli colonies with a 5-log reduction, indicating the APEG₂₄₀₀-PHMB coating surface worked effectively in the rodent subcutaneous infection model. This PHMB-based block copolymer coating is believed to be an effective strategy to prevent biomaterial-associated infections.