Surface-imprinted polyurethane having affinity sites for ampicillin

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Polyurethane materials are widely used in biomedical applications.
• Developing surfaces with inherent antibacterial properties is crucial for preventing infections.
• Controlling drug release from material surfaces remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create ampicillin affinity sites on polyurethane surfaces using non-covalent molecular imprinting.
• To evaluate the drug adsorption and release characteristics of the imprinted surfaces.
• To assess the antibacterial efficacy of the modified surfaces against E. coli and S. aureus.

Main Methods:

• Non-covalent molecular imprinting of ampicillin onto polyurethane using aminophenylboronic acid.
• Adsorption studies to quantify drug binding capacity.
• In vitro drug release experiments.
• Bacterial adhesion tests with E. coli and S. aureus.

Main Results:

• Imprinted polyurethane surfaces exhibited nearly five times higher ampicillin adsorption compared to non-imprinted surfaces.
• Prolonged drug retention was observed on the imprinted surface, with rapid release from the non-imprinted surface.
• Significantly reduced bacterial adhesion (E. coli and S. aureus) was noted on the ampicillin-retaining imprinted surface.

Conclusions:

• Non-covalent molecular imprinting is an effective method for creating drug-affinity surfaces on polyurethane.
• The ampicillin-imprinted surfaces demonstrate enhanced drug retention and potent antibacterial activity.
• This approach offers a promising strategy for developing biomaterials with improved hemocompatibility and antimicrobial properties.