Ionic starch-based hydrogels for the prevention of nonspecific protein adsorption

•Three ionic starch-based hydrogels were synthesized.•The C-Starch hydrogel had low protein resistance at all ionic strengths.•The A-Starch hydrogel resisted protein adsorption at certain ionic strengths.•The Z-Starch hydrogel resisted protein adsorption at all ionic strengths.•The A- and Z-Starch hydrogels both resisted cell adhesion. Non-fouling materials bind water molecules via either hydrogen bonding or ionic solvation to form a hydration layer which is responsible for their resistance to protein adsorption. Three ionic starch-based polymers, namely a cationic starch (C-Starch), an anionic starch (A-Starch) and a zwitterionic starch (Z-Starch), were synthesized via etherification reactions to incorporate both hydrogen bonding and ionic solvation hydration groups into one molecule. Further, C-, A- and Z-Starch hydrogels were prepared via chemical crosslinking. The non-fouling properties of these hydrogels were tested with different proteins in solutions with different ionic strengths. The C-Starch hydrogel had low protein resistance at all ionic strengths; the A-Starch hydrogel resisted protein adsorption at ionic strengths of more than 10mM; and the Z-Starch hydrogel resisted protein adsorption at all ionic strengths. In addition, the A- and Z-Starch hydrogels both resisted cell adhesion. This work provides a new path for developing non-fouling materials using the integration of polysaccharides with anionic or zwitterionic moieties to regulate the protein resistance of materials.