Ionic starch-based hydrogels for the prevention of nonspecific protein adsorption

Non-fouling materials bind water molecules via either hydrogen bonding or ionic solvation to form a hydration layer which is responsible for their resistance to protein adsorption. Three ionic starch-based polymers, namely a cationic starch (C-Starch), an anionic starch (A-Starch) and a zwitterionic starch (Z-Starch), were synthesized via etherification reactions to incorporate both hydrogen bonding and ionic solvation hydration groups into one...