A comparison study of cell-membrane mimetic phosphobetaine polymers having methacrylamide and methacrylate main chain

Zwitterionic polymers have shown their great perspectives in various fields including biomedicine, environment and so on. Among them, cell membrane mimicking polymers derived from 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) might be one of the most prominent biomaterials considering their achievements as commercial products in the past decades. Unlike other zwitterionic derivatives, however, the analogues of MPC, especially the methacrylamide-based ones are rarely reported. Here, we report the synthesis of 2-methacrylamidoethyl phosphorylcholine (MAPC) and investigation on its polymerization, stability and potential applications. By comparison with MPC, we revealed that MAPC might serve as a robust candidate of biomaterials for higher requirement such as a stable scaffold under harsh conditions. This study broadens the family of phosphobetaine monomers and might be beneficial for better design of zwitterionic polymers in the future. • The synthesis of methacrylamide-type monomer for the toolbox of phosphobetaine monomers which is inactive for decades. • A new viewpoint to understand how methacrylate and methacrylamide backbone would influence their stability and performance for phosphobetaine polymers. • A reminder that applications of methacrylate-type monomers and polymers should avoid basic conditions.