Hydrophobically modified poly(vinyl alcohol)s as antithrombogenic coating materials

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Modification

Background:

• Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a versatile polymer with potential biomedical applications.
• Improving the blood compatibility of materials is crucial for medical devices.
• Hydrophobic modification can alter polymer properties for enhanced performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize hydrophobically modified poly(vinyl alcohol)s (hm-PVAs) with varying alkyl chain lengths.
• To coat poly(propylene) (PP) films with hm-PVAs and evaluate their blood compatibility.
• To investigate the relationship between hydrophobic modification, hydration water structure, and blood compatibility.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of hm-PVAs with alkyl chain lengths from 3 to 12.
• Coating of poly(propylene) (PP) films with synthesized hm-PVAs.
• Evaluation of blood compatibility, including platelet adhesion and fibrinogen adsorption.
• Analysis of hydration water structure using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).

Main Results:

• The C6-PVA coated PP film demonstrated suppressed platelet adhesion compared to other hm-PVA coated films.
• Fibrinogen adsorption was significantly inhibited on the 15C6-PVA coated PP film.
• 15C6-PVA exhibited the highest intermediate water content (4.8 wt%), correlating with good blood compatibility.
• Fibrinogen γ chain activity was reduced by 18% on the 15C6-PVA coated PP film.

Conclusions:

• Hydrophobic modification of PVA enhances its blood compatibility.
• The C6-PVA coated PP film shows promising results for use as a blood contacting material.
• The degree of hydrophobic modification and resulting hydration water structure are key factors in achieving improved hemocompatibility.