Technological watch

Abstract Zwitterionic polymers have become a kind of potential biomaterial system used to design nonfouling interfaces between general materials and biological environments. This antifouling polymer system is inspired by biology, especially due to the presence of zwitterions or alternately charged groups on cell membranes and protein surfaces. Previous systematic studies have shown that the zwitterionic polymer system can exhibit excellent anti-adsorption, anti-coagulation, anti-adhesion and anti-attachment functions for biological components such as human proteins, blood cells, tissue cells, general bacteria, and marine shellfish. Research in recent years has pointed out that the latest development of zwitterionic polymers is of great significance in the fields of bio-inert materials, dental care, biomedical devices, membrane bio-separation, medical stents, and drug delivery carriers. This review article focuses on sorting out and illustrating the research and development of molecular design, material properties, engineering process, and system applications of zwitterionic polymers, which is expected to inspire new ideas and directions in bio-inert polymer field.