PLA-PEG-PLA for creating anti-fouling surfaces

PolySciTech (www.polyscitech.com) provides a wide array of PLA-PEG-PLA triblock copolymers under the PolyVivo brand-name including AK08 and others.  Recently these polymers have shown promise for generating anti-fouling surfaces when mixed with PLA. Read more here: Shen, Peng, Kai Tu, Chang Yu Yang, Jian Li, and Ru Xu Du. "Preparation of Anti-Fouling Poly (Lactic Acid)(PLA) Hollow Fiber Membranes via Non-Solvent Induced Phase Separation." Advanced Materials Research 884 (2014): 112-116. http://www.scientific.net/AMR.884-885.112 

“Abstract: Anti-fouling PLA hollow fibers were fabricated using synthesized PLA-PEG-PLA copolymer as an additive to improve the hydrophilicity. The tri-block copolymer was prepared by ring-opening polymerization and a hydrophilic copolymer processing good compatibility with PLA molecule was obtained and utilized to fabricate membrane with PLA by NIPS. Elemental analysis showed that PLA-PEG-PLA could stably exist in membranes and endow the membrane with persistent hydrophilic. Thus the contact angle decreased nearly 20o with 5% PLA-PEG-PLA content, resulting in higher water permeability and BSA rejection which indicated the anti-fouling property of PLA membrane was improved.”