Silica particles coated with zwitterionic polymer brush: formation of colloidal crystals and anti-biofouling properties in aqueous medium.

Silica particles (SiP) were modified with 2-bromoisobutyryl group-carrying silane coupling reagent, and a polymer brush of carboxymethylbetaine, poly[1-carboxy-N,N-dimethyl-N-(2'-methacryloyloxyethyl)methanaminium inner salt] (PolyCMB), was introduced onto surface of the particles using surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP). After purification by simple ultrafiltration, the layer of the PolyCMB brush-carrying silica particle (SiP-PolyCMB) in aqueous medium showed a clear iridescence at the bottom of a quartz cell upon a slow sedimentation, indicating the formation of colloidal crystals due to both electrostatic and steric repulsion between the particles. The peak of the reflection spectra gradually shifted to a smaller wavelength region due to the formation of more densely packed ordered structure of the SiP-PolyCMB. Moreover, SiP-PolyCMBs dispersed in water showed neither salt- nor freeze-thaw cycle-induced coagulation, and were resistant against the non-specific adsorption of proteins such as bovine serum albumin and egg white lysozyme, which is in contrast with the noticeable adsorption of the proteins to the bare silica particles.