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Phenylglyoxaldehyde-Functionalized Polymeric Sorbents for Urea Removal from Aqueous Solutions
Jacobus A W Jong1,2, Yong Guo1, Cas Veenhoven1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Utrecht University, Universiteitsweg 99, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands.
ACS Applied Polymer Materials
|February 25, 2020
Summary
A new phenylglyoxaldehyde (PGA) polymeric sorbent efficiently removes urea from dialysis fluid. This breakthrough advances the development of a wearable artificial kidney by enabling dialysate regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Nephrology
Background:
- Efficient urea removal from dialysate is crucial for wearable artificial kidney development.
- Regenerating small dialysate volumes requires highly effective sorbent materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and characterize a novel polymeric sorbent for efficient urea removal.
- To assess the potential of phenylglyoxaldehyde (PGA) functionalized sorbents for dialysate regeneration.
Main Methods:
- Suspension polymerization of styrene or vinylphenylethan-1-one (VPE) to create polymer beads.
- Modification of polymer aromatic groups to introduce phenylglyoxaldehyde (PGA) functionalities.
- Evaluation of urea binding capacity and removal efficiency under simulated dialysate conditions.
Main Results:
- PGA-functionalized sorbent beads demonstrated maximum urea binding capacities of 1.4-2.2 mmol/g.
- Approximately 0.6 mmol of urea per gram of sorbent was removed in 8 hours at 37 °C.
- The sorbent effectively removed urea from phosphate-buffered saline under conditions mimicking dialysate regeneration.
Conclusions:
- Phenylglyoxaldehyde (PGA) polymeric sorbents show significant potential for urea removal in artificial kidney applications.
- The developed sorbent represents a key advancement towards the realization of a wearable artificial kidney.
- A few hundred grams of this sorbent could manage the daily urea production of a dialysis patient.
