[Effects of the variation in components of DLC on protein adsorption]

Diamond-like carbon(DLC) was prepared by means of plasma source ion implantation-ion beam enhanced deposition. Through the heat treatment upon DLC in air and in depressed Ar gas, the DLC rich in graphite, DLC rich in diamond, and other kinds of DLC used in the study were obtained respectively. For the three kinds of DLC, the components of carbonaceous phase were analysed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), the adsorptive amounts of human serum albumin (HSA), human serum fibrinogen (HFG) and human serum immunoglobin (IgG) on their surfaces in the condition of constant temperature were determined by radio isotope 125I labelling method. Results showed the graphite phase and diamond phase in DLC increased by two times or so respectively after the aforementioned different heat treatment. In pace with the increase of these foreign phases, the adsorptive amounts of HFG and IgG on DLC greatly increase but the adsorptive amounts of HSA on DLC decrease; furthermore, there is a change from non-selective adsorption of three human serum proteins into selective adsorptions of HFG and IgG prior to HSA. These results indicate that the foreign phases in DLC such as graphite, diamond, C-H phase and C-O phase have a great effect on protein adsorption on DLC and hence a negative effect on the hemocompatibility of DLC. The mechanisms for the increase of graphite phase and diamond phase in the process of heat treatment were also discussed in this paper.