Tuning Poly(dimethylsiloxane) Hydrophilization and Coating Stability via the Optimization of Polyethylene Glycol Molecular Weight.

ABSTRACT: Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used in microfluidics and medical devices; however, its inherent hydrophobicity limits its applications. This can be resolved by the formation of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrophilic coatings. Here, we aimed to prove that PDMS surfaces modified with low molecular weight PEG (400) provided a more stable hydrophilic surface. The lowest contact angle achieved via using PEG400 and the "grafting from" approach was 8.6 ± 3.5°. Under perfusion conditions, imitating arterial and capillary flows, such coatings were considerably stable, and the contact angle was kept at 45.5° after 3 days. Moreover, the applied surface modifications preserved surface roughness, elastic modulus, and optical transparency. Thus, these findings confirmed that the "grafting fr

SUBMITTER: Golubchikov D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12736552 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature