Photoactivatable crosslinker

1. A method of coating a support surface with a degradable linking agent in order to provide the support surface with one or more latent reactive groups, the method comprising:

a) providing the support surface;

b) applying to the support surface the degradable linking agent,

wherein the degradable linking agent comprises a formula selected from:

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent a photoreactive group; n is an integer between 1 and 10; and R 1 -R 4 are independently cyclic, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic or heteroaromatic, a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent one or more photoreactive groups; and R 1 and R 2 are independently a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent one or more photoreactive groups and R is hydroxyl or a salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

and

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent a photoreactive group, Y represents a linker that is null, an amine, an ether, linear or branched C 1 -C 10 alkyl, or a combination thereof; and R 1 and R 2 are independently a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, cyclic, linear or branched hydrocarbon, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic or heteroaromatic, or a combination thereof; and

c) illuminating the degradable linking agent upon the support surface under conditions suitable to activate a first photoreactive group to attach the degradable linking agent to the support surface, wherein a second photoreactive species remains unbound to the support surface and is able to revert to a latent reactive state.

2. A support surface bearing a coating comprising a polymer layer attached to the support surface by a degradable linking agent,

wherein the degradable linking agent comprises a formula selected from:

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent a photoreactive group; n is an integer between 1 and 10; and R 1 -R 4 are independently cyclic, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic or heteroaromatic, a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent one or more photoreactive groups; and R 1 and R 2 are independently a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent one or more photoreactive groups and R is hydroxyl or a salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

and

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent a photoreactive group, Y represents a linker that is null, an amine, an ether, linear or branched C 1 -C 10 alkyl, or a combination thereof; and R 1 and R 2 are independently a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, cyclic, linear or branched hydrocarbon, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic or heteroaromatic, or a combination thereof; and

wherein a first photoreactive group of the degradable linking agent, when activated in the presence of the support surface, is able to attach the degradable linking agent to the support surface, and a second photoreactive group of the degradable linking agent, when activated in the presence of a coating agent, is able to attach the coating to the support surface.

3. A coated medical device comprising: a medical device and a polymeric coating, wherein the coating is attached to the medical device by a degradable linking agent,

wherein the degradable linking agent comprises a formula selected from:

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent a photoreactive group; n is an integer between 1 and 10; and R 1 -R 4 are independently cyclic, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic or heteroaromatic, a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent one or more photoreactive groups; and R 1 and R 2 are independently a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent one or more photoreactive groups and R is hydroxyl or a salt thereof, or a combination thereof;

and

wherein Photo 1 and Photo 2 , independently, represent a photoreactive group, Y represents a linker that is null, an amine, an ether, linear or branched C 1 -C 10 alkyl, or a combination thereof; and R 1 and R 2 are independently a photoreactive group, hydroxyl or salt thereof, cyclic, linear or branched hydrocarbon, saturated or unsaturated, aromatic or heteroaromatic, or a combination thereof.

4. The method of coating a support surface of claim 1 , wherein the hydroxyl or salt thereof comprises a sodium salt, a potassium salt, a lithium salt, or a combination thereof.

5. The support surface of claim 2 , wherein the hydroxyl or salt thereof comprises a sodium salt, a potassium salt, a lithium salt, or a combination thereof.

6. The coated medical device of claim 3 , wherein the hydroxyl or salt thereof comprises a sodium salt, a potassium salt, a lithium salt, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of coating a support surface of claim 1 , wherein one or more photoreactive groups comprise an aryl ketone.

8. The support surface of claim 2 , wherein one or more photoreactive groups comprise an aryl ketone.

9. The coated medical device of claim 3 , wherein one or more photoreactive groups comprise an aryl ketone.

10. The method of coating a support surface of claim 1 , wherein one or more photoreactive groups comprise benzophenone.

11. The support surface of claim 2 , wherein one or more photoreactive groups comprise benzophenone.

12. The coated medical device of claim 3 , wherein one or more photoreactive groups comprise benzophenone.