Grafting of 2-vinyl-4,4-dimethylazlactone onto electron-beam activated poly(propylene) films and fabrics. Application to the immobilization of sericin

The grafting of 2‐vinyl‐4,4‐dimethylazlactone (VDM) onto electron‐beam activated poly(propylene) (PP) films and fabrics and subsequent reaction of the anchored azlactone groups with various nucleophiles was investigated. Surface graft polymerization was demonstrated by FTIR and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis. Determination of azlactone loading of the PP‐g‐VDM films and fabrics was achieved by titration. It was confirmed that grafted poly(VDM) chains are reactive towards nucleophiles such as water, benzylamine, Jeffamine M600®, and poly(β‐benzyl aspartate) ω‐benzylamide used as a model of peptidic chain. Sericin, a natural water‐soluble protein issued from silk degumming, was immobilized onto PP‐g‐VDM fabrics. Mass uptake up to 10% was obtained at room temperature using the raw solution resulting from industrial degumming process. Immobilization of sericin onto PP‐g‐VDM fabrics was assessed by FTIR, XPS, and determination of amino acid content after acidic hydrolysis. The results suggest that this technique is useful for obtaining permanent altered surfaces and that PP‐g‐VDM films and fabrics could be used for deproteinization of aqueous solutions as well as in the field of combinatorial chemistry as scavengers or substrates.