Flexible And Biocompatible Antifouling Polyurethane Surfaces Incorporating Tethered Antimicrobial Peptides Through Click Reactions.

Efficient, simple antibacterial materials to combat implant associated infections are much in demand. Herein, we describe the development of polyurethanes, both cross-linked thermoset and flexible and versatile thermoplastic, suitable for "click on demand" attachment of antibacterial compounds enabled via incorporation of an alkyne-containing diol monomer in the polymer backbone. By employing different polyolic polytetrahydrofurans, isocyanates, and chain extenders, a robust and flexible material comparable to commercial thermoplastic polyurethane is prepared. A series of short synthetic antimicrobial peptides were designed, synthesized, and covalently attached in a single coupling step to generate a homogenous coating. The lead material was shown to be biocompatible and did not display any toxicity against either mouse fibroblasts or reconstructed human epidermis according to ISO and OECD guidelines. The repelling performance of the peptide-coated materials was illustrated against colonization and biofilm formation by Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis on coated plastic films and, finally, on coated commercial CNS catheters employing LIVE/DEAD™ staining, confocal laser scanning microscopy, and bacterial counts. Our study presents the successful development of a versatile and scalable polyurethane with potential for use in the medical field to reduce the impact of bacterial biofilms. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.