Surface modification of poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS) elastomer via covalent immobilization of nonionic sugar-based Gemini surfactants.

Gemini surfactants (GS) with sugar-containing head-groups and different alkyl chains were successfully prepared. Poly(styrene-b-(ethylene-co-butylene)-b-styrene) (SEBS) elastomer was grafted with glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) by means of UV-induced graft polymerization, and then the pGMA-grafted film was chemically immobilized with the GS. The surface graft polymerization was confirmed by ATR-FTIR and XPS. The wettability and hemocompatibility of the modified surface were characterized by means of water contact angle, protein adsorption, and platelet adhesion assays. The results showed that amphiphilic surfactant-containing polymer surfaces presented protein-resistant behavior and anti-platelet adhesion after functionalization with GS, GS1 and GS2. Besides, the hemocompatibility of the modified surface deteriorated as the length of hydrophobic chain of GS increased.