Surface treatment of polymeric solids without impairing their bulk properties is a crucial functionalization strategy for the promotion of their wider application. We here propose a facile method using a nonsolvent which can subtly alter or swell the polymer surface to be modified. A thin film of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) was immersed in a methanol solution of poly(2-methoxyethyl acrylate) (PMEA). Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis and neutron reflectometry revealed that a PMEA layer formed on the PMMA film with a diffused interface. The PMEA layer was very swollen in water and exhibited the ability to suppress serum protein adsorption and platelet adhesion on it. The functionalization technique using a nonsolvent was also applicable to the surface of other polymeric solids such as polyurethane.
Keywords: antibiofouling; nonsolvent; polymer interface; surface functionalization; water interface.