• Chemical modification of polymer biomaterials for biomedical applications
  • Mina Morovati,1,* Mahsima Heydari,2 Mahsa Heydari,3
    1. Malek Ashtar university
    2. Bioprocess Engineering Department, Institute of Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology, National Institute of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology
    3. Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran


  • Introduction: Pure polymeric materials to be used as biomaterials cannot be used for high-performance applications due to Their unfavorable properties. Therefore, modification of substrate surfaces is essential for many applications. In the meantime, polymer brushes can be used to modify the polymer substrate. Substrate modification by polymer brushes can affect surface properties such as biocompatibility, friction, adhesion, and wettability. Of course, this method also has disadvantages, such as weak strength. Polymeric substrate surface modification method can be divided into two methods: physical and chemical. Chemical bonding is more desirable than physical bonding due to its long-term chemical stability. chemical surface modification methods based on grafting are divided into three categories: graft to, graft from, and graft through. In the grafting method, pre-prepared polymers react with the substrate functional groups to form bonded polymer chains. In this approach, radical controlled methods, anionic, and other polymerization techniques can be used. In the grafting from the method, polymer chains propagate from surface-attached initiators. In this method, density can be controlled. The grafting through method is often based on monomer groups attached to the surface. In this method, the polymer chains first grow in solution and then propagate. This method can be one of the most powerful processes for surface modification, but there is still a lot of work to be done to clarify its mechanisms.
  • Methods: In this study, reviewing various articles on the importance of polymer brushes in the manufacture of polymer substrates for various medical applications such as medical implants, biosensors, surgical equipment, and health products, the most important and up-to-date information was collected and presented as a review article.
  • Results: Modified polymer substrates can have various applications in biomedical due to obtaining the desired properties, some of which are briefly mentioned below. Anti-fouling surfaces have numerous applications in various medical fields such as medical implants, biosensors, surgical equipment, and health products. Their other use is in platelet adhesion. Among the types of polymeric biomaterials, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) has been one of the emerging research centers due to its excellent mechanical properties and chemical stability under biological conditions. Polymer brushes are used in drug delivery to achieve site-specific and time-controlled drug delivery to increase the effectiveness of the drug and reduce its side effects. Their other application is in microbial adhesion and biocompatibility.
  • Conclusion: The history of using biomaterials goes back to the distant past. Their desirable properties such as non-toxicity, corrosion resistance, controlled degradability, and the like have made them suitable for biomedical applications, but achieving the desired mass properties requires its modification. Advances in recent decades have made these modified surfaces have many applications in biomedical.
  • Keywords: Polymer Brushes, Modified Biomaterials, Grafting, Drug Delivery, Anti-fouling Surfaces