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Oxygen plasma modification of polyurethane membranes.
Yesim Ozdemir1, Nesrin Hasirci, Kemal Serbetci
1Middle East Technical University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Ankara 06531, Turkey.
Journal of Materials Science. Materials in Medicine
|September 7, 2004
Summary
This study developed medical-grade polyurethane membranes with tunable mechanical properties. Oxygen plasma treatment optimized surface hydrophilicity and Vero cell attachment, demonstrating potential for biomedical applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Surface Science
Background:
- Polyurethane (PU) membranes are crucial for medical applications.
- Achieving medical-grade purity and controlled surface properties is essential.
- Tuning mechanical and surface characteristics of PU is an ongoing challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize medical-grade polyurethane membranes with varying compositions.
- To investigate the impact of composition on mechanical properties.
- To evaluate the effect of oxygen plasma treatment on surface hydrophilicity and cell attachment.
Main Methods:
- Polyurethane membranes were synthesized using varying ratios of toluene diisocyanates (TDI) and polypropylene-ethylene glycol (P) without additives.
- Mechanical properties including elastic modulus, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and per cent strain before rupture (PSBR) were measured.
- Oxygen plasma glow-discharge treatment at different power levels (10 W, 100 W) was applied to modify membrane surfaces.
- Surface hydrophilicity was assessed using water contact angle measurements.
- Vero cell attachment was quantified on both unmodified and plasma-treated surfaces.
Main Results:
- Increased TDI/Polyol ratio led to higher modulus and UTS, and decreased PSBR.
- Mechanical properties ranged from 1.4-5.4 MPa (modulus), 0.9-1.9 MPa (UTS), and 60.4-99.7% (PSBR).
- Oxygen plasma treatment significantly decreased water contact angles (from ~70° to 46°), indicating increased hydrophilicity, especially at higher power.
- Cell attachment initially increased at 10 W plasma power (60-70 cells/cm²) compared to unmodified surfaces (42-45 cells/cm²), but decreased at 100 W (27-40 cells/cm²).
Conclusions:
- Polyurethane membrane mechanical properties can be tailored by adjusting the TDI/Polyol ratio.
- Oxygen plasma glow-discharge is an effective technique for modifying polyurethane surface hydrophilicity.
- Optimizing plasma treatment parameters is critical for achieving desired cell attachment levels, suggesting potential for controlled biomaterial-cell interactions.