We report a generic aqueous coating methodology that provides highly biocompatible surfaces. The method is inspired by prebiotic chemistry that involves the polymerization of hydrogen cyanide (HCN). The neutralization of the commercially available HCN trimer aminomalononitrile toluenesulfonate results in spontaneous polymerization that can be used to coat a wide variety of surfaces with a highly nitrogenous polymer. The non-cytotoxic coating provides excellent cell attachment and its chemistry allows the immobilization of other compounds including metals both during coating formation or by subsequent secondary immobilization reactions. This gives access to bioactive coatings including antimicrobial surfaces. Prebiotic chemistry has always been focussed on the understanding of the chemical origin of life and has remained highly fundamental research. To our knowledge this is the first application of prebiotic chemistry to material science.
- Helmut Thissen
- Aylin Koegler
- Richard A Evans
