Sunlight-Induced RAFT Synthesis of Multifaceted Glycopolymers with Surface Anchoring, In Situ AgNP Formation, and Antibacterial Properties

A multifaceted glycopolymer is designed for the convenient and universal fabrication of antibacterial surfaces. Sunlight-induced living-radical polymerization in the presence of a reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer agent without a photoinitiator was applied to obtain well-designed multifunctional glycopolymers containing three functional groups that can complex with a silver ion, bind to different surfaces, and form silver nanoparticles in situ. The polymerization behavior and the effects of the concentration of the three monomers have been investigated. The obtained polymers can be used to effectively modify a variety of surfaces [silicon wafer, poly(dimethylsiloxane), and stainless steel] and the modification is characterized by contact-angle studies, Fourier transform infrared, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy. In addition, the effect of the composition of the polymers on the antibacterial properties of different surfaces has been studied.