Fluorographene-Based Biocompatible Anti-Biofouling Coating with Superior Properties

Surface coatings that can prevent biofouling - build-up of biological materials and biofilms on membranous and other fluidic systems; protein and cell adhesion on medical devices; and the transmission of bacterial and viral pathogens on public surfaces - are becoming important for medical devices and cell therapy manufacturing, where even the smallest of the contamination could have cascading consequences. Here, we present a covalent hydrophobic fluorographene membrane as a protein-repellent anti-biofouling coating. We investigate the adsorption behavior of proteins using real-time quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Using BSA and fibrinogen as a protein model, we demonstrate that fluorographene membranes show ~30% reduction in adsorption of proteins. We also explore the impact of pH on the orientation of protein molecules adsorbed on the surface. This hydrophobic fluorographene can be a useful coating not only for medical implants but also for bio-micro/nanofluidic systems.