The Effect of Nano-ZnO Surface Wettability on Modulating Protein Adsorption

Although surface wettability plays a major role in regulating protein adsorption and nanostructured ZnO has shown great potential in various biomedical fields, few reports have examined the influence of nano-ZnO surface wettability on protein adsorption. Herein, we explored the adsorption behavior of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the superhydrophilic, hydrophilic, hydrophobic and superhydrophobic nano-ZnO surfaces. The adsorption amount of BSA increased with increase of hydrophilicity because of increased adsorption sites on the hydrophilic surface. The protein adsorption was proved to occur along with the desorption and conformational changes by well-fitted kinetic adsorption curves with the Spreading Particle Model and Fourier transformation infrared spectral analysis. The rates of BSA adsorption and desorption increased with hydrophobicity of the ZnO surfaces, which was considered to be related with the energy barrier created by water bound to the ZnO surfaces via hydrogen bonding. The rate of conformational change varied in a complex way, which might be influenced by the surface wettability of ZnO and some other factors. The present work may open up a new avenue to design nano-bio interfacial materials for advanced biological study and clinical applications.