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Reduced Blood Cell Adhesion on Polypropylene Substrates through a Simple Surface Zwitterionization
Sheng-Han Chen1,2, Yung Chang1,2, Kazuhiko Ishihara1,2
1R&D Center for Membrane Technology and ‡Department of Chemical Engineering, Chung Yuan University , Chung-Li, Taoyuan 320, Taiwan.
Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids
|November 3, 2016
Summary
Surface zwitterionization of polypropylene (PP) using copolymers significantly reduces blood cell adhesion. Block copolymers with zwitterionic poly(MPC) segments offer superior blood compatibility for medical devices.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Surface Engineering
Background:
- Hydrocarbon-based biomaterials like polypropylene (PP) often cause thrombogenic reactions in clinical blood treatments.
- Controlling blood cell adhesion is crucial for improving the hemocompatibility of medical devices.
- Surface modification strategies are needed to mitigate adverse biological responses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate surface zwitterionization of PP substrates using well-defined copolymers.
- To control the adhesion of blood cells in vitro by tailoring copolymer architecture and hydration.
- To enhance the blood compatibility of hydrocarbon-based biomaterials.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of random and block copolymers containing zwitterionic (MPC, SBAA) or nonionic (HEMA) units and a hydrophobic segment (BMA) via RAFT polymerization.
- Coating of PP substrates with synthesized copolymers.
- Evaluation of surface wettability, hydration capability, protein adsorption, and blood cell (platelet, leukocyte) adhesion.
- Characterization of surface properties using water contact angle measurements.
Main Results:
- Block copolymers with poly(MPC) segments showed higher wettability than random copolymers.
- Nonionic copolymers (HEMA) exhibited lower hydration, leading to increased protein and cell adhesion compared to zwitterionic copolymers.
- Random copolymers with SBAA units demonstrated resistance to cell adhesion comparable to MPC copolymers.
- The PMPC-block-PBMA coating dramatically reduced water contact angle to 11° and blood cell adhesion to <2.5% of the original PP.
Conclusions:
- Rational design of zwitterionic polymers with hydrophobic anchoring segments is a promising strategy for reducing blood cell adhesion and protein adsorption.
- Zwitterionic surface modification significantly improves the hemocompatibility of hydrocarbon-based biomaterials for blood-contacting applications.
- Block copolymers, particularly PMPC-block-PBMA, offer superior performance in preventing blood cell adhesion on PP substrates.
