Methods for attaching polymerizable ceragenins to water treatment membranes using amine and amide linkages

1. A method of attaching alkene-functionalized ceragenins to a surface of a polymer substrate, comprising, in the order listed:

a) providing a polymer substrate with free amine groups on a surface of the substrate;

b) attaching alkenes to the free amine groups, thereby alkene-functionalizing the surface;

c) contacting the alkene-functionalized surface with a monomer solution comprising an alkene-functionalized ceragenin monomer, a comonomer, an initiator, and a solvent, thereby initiating a polymerization reaction; and

d) forming ceragenin-containing copolymer reaction products that are chemically grafted to the surface of the polymer substrate;

wherein the monomer solution further comprises a surfactant or wetting agent.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the comonomer is an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-type monomer.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer substrate comprises a polyamide membrane; the alkenes are selected from the group consisting of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene, 1,2-epoxy-5-hexene, and 1,2-epoxy-7-octene; the alkene-functionalized ceragenin is selected from the group consisting of CSA-105, CSA-113, CSA-109, and CSA-120; and the comonomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and maleic anhydride; and wherein the structures of CSA-105, CSA-109, CSA-105, CSA-113, and CSA-120 are as follows:

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the alkene is 3,4-epoxy-1-butene; the alkene-functionalized ceragenin is CSA-113; the comonomer is acrylamide; the solvent is water; and the ceragenin comprises amine end groups that are protonated; and wherein the method is performed according to Attachment Scheme III, as follows:

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the monomer solution further comprises a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of N,N′-ethylenebis(acrylamide), N,N′-propylbis(acrylamide), and 1,3-butadiene.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymer substrate comprises a polyamide membrane.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein a mole ratio of alkene-functionalized ceragenin to comonomer in the monomer solution ranges from as low as 1:50, to as high as 100% ceragenin with 0% comonomer.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

step a) comprises soaking the polyamide substrate in a first solution comprising a 5% solution of sodium bicarbonate (aqueous) for 1-2 hours, and rinsing the substrate with water, then dipping briefly in isopropyl alcohol;

step b) comprises soaking the substrate for 10-20 minutes in a second solution heated to 40-50° C., wherein the second solution comprises 1 to 10 weight % of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene dissolved in isopropyl alcohol, and rinsing the substrate with isopropyl alcohol and then water; and

step c) comprises adding an initiator comprising potassium persulfate and sodium metabisulfite in a 3:1 weight ratio to the monomer solution such that the combined mass of the initiators is 2 to 10 weight % based on the mass of the monomers; then allowing a polymerization reaction to occur at room temperature for a sufficient time; and rinsing the substrate with water;

wherein a mole fraction of ceragenin in the monomer solution ranges from 2% to 100%, and a total monomer concentration ranges from 0.01 M to 1 M.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the alkene-functionalized ceragenin is CSA-109; the comonomer is acrylic acid; and the solvent is water.

10. A method of attaching alkene-functionalized ceragenins to a surface of a polymer substrate using ultraviolet light (UV), comprising, in the order listed:

a) providing a polymer substrate;

b) depositing a UV-absorbing photoinitiator on a surface of the substrate;

c) contacting the surface of the substrate with a monomer solution comprising an alkene-functionalized ceragenin monomer, a comonomer, and a solvent;

d) exposing the monomer solution contacting the surface to UV light, thereby forming radicals that initiate a polymerization reaction; and

e) forming ceragenin-containing copolymer reaction products that are chemically grafted to the surface of the polymer substrate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the comonomer is an α,β-unsaturated carbonyl-type monomer.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the UV-photoinitiator is benzophenone; the polymer substrate is polyamide or polyethylene; the alkene-functionalized ceragenin is selected from the group consisting of CSA-105, CSA-109, CSA-113, and CSA-120; the ceragenin comprises amine end groups that are protonated; the comonomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, acrylic acid, acrylonitrile, methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, and maleic anhydride; and the solvent is water; wherein benzophenone has the following structure:

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the alkene-functionalized ceragenin is CSA-113; and the comonomer is acrylamide.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the monomer solution further comprises a surfactant or wetting agent.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the monomer solution further comprises a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of N,N′-ethylenebis(acrylamide), N,N′-propylbis(acrylamide), and 1,3-butadiene.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the polymer substrate comprises a polyamide membrane.

17. The method of claim 12 , wherein:

step a) comprises soaking the polymer substrate in deionized water for at least 24 hours, and then soaking in ethanol for at least 5-10 minutes;

step b) comprises soaking the substrate in a 10 mM solution of benzophenone in ethanol at room temperature for at least 1 hour, then removing and drying under vacuum;

step d) comprises directing UV radiation through a quartz plate for at least 1-60 minutes, thereby causing a polymerization reaction, and rinsing the substrate with water;

wherein a mole fraction of ceragenin in the monomer solution ranges from 2 to 100%, and a total monomer concentration ranges from 0.01 to 1 M.

18. A method of attaching N-hydroxysuccinimide-functionalized ceragenins to a surface of a polyamide substrate comprising, in the order listed:

a) providing a polyamide substrate with free amine groups on a surface of the substrate; and

b) attaching a N-hydroxysuccinimide-functionalized ceragenin to each free amine group in a monomer solution; thereby forming a layer of ceragenin molecules that are attached to the polyamide substrate via amide linkages;

wherein the monomer solution further comprises a surfactant or wetting agent.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein:

step a) comprises pretreating the substrate by soaking in a 5 wt % aqueous solution of sodium bicarbonate for 1-2 hours, followed by rinsing with water, then dipping briefly into ethanol; and

step b) comprises contacting the surface of the substrate with a monomer solution comprising CSA-111 ceragenin with an amine-reactive N-hydroxysuccinimide moiety (0.5 to 5 weight %) and triethylamine (0.1 to 1 weight %) dissolved in ethanol; covering and heating the ceragenin solution to 40-50° C. for at least 22 hours; rinsing the substrate with ethanol; removing protective Fmoc groups (9-fluorenylmethyl carbamate) on amine ends of the ceragenin by exposing the surface to a 3:1 v/v solution of ethanol/piperidine for at least 6 hours; and rinsing the substrate with ethanol, and then water;

wherein CSA-111 ceragenin has the following structure:

and CSA-108 has the following structure: