Importance

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Abstract

A chemical linking agent is formed of a di- or higher functional photoactivatable compound having at least one group that is charged under the conditions of use in order to provide improved water solubility. The linking agent contains two or more photoreactive groups in order to allow the agent to be used as a cross-linking agent in aqueous systems. The charged group can be provided by a radical that includes one or more salts of organic acids, onium compounds, or protonated amines, (and optionally one or more additional photoreactive groups) and the photoreactive groups can be provided by two or more radicals that include an aryl ketone. The onium compound can provide a quaternary ammonium, sulfonium or phosphonium group. A surface can be coated with a target molecule such as a synthetic polymer, carbohydrate, protein, lipid, nucleic acid, drug, vitamin, cofactor or dye by forming an aqueous solution of the linking agent and the target molecule, placing the solution in contact with the surface and activating the photoreactive groups of the linking agent to cross-link the target molecule to the surface.

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First Claim