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Updated: Jun 15, 2025
Hydrogel Nanoparticle Harvesting of Plasma or Urine for Detecting Low Abundance Proteins
Published on: August 7, 2014
Dialysis nanocomposite membranes based on carbon nanoforms inhibiting blood plasma protein adsorption
Dominika Wójtowicz1,2, Roksana Kurpanik1, Dominika Nguyen Ngoc3
1Department of Biomaterials and Composites, Faculty of Materials Science and Ceramics, AGH-University of Krakow, Krakow, Poland.
Background:
Protein adsorption on medical devices in contact with blood is a significant issue during renal replacement therapy. Main forces determining fouling are the electrostatic interactions between membrane and charged protein, but the dialysis membrane surface charges can be adjusted by modifying the polymer matrix to decrease the blood plasma protein adsorption.
Methods:
In this study, polysulfone membranes (PSU) were modified by incorporation of carbon nanoparticles such as: multiwall carbon nanotubes (2 wt.% MWCNT), graphene oxide (1 wt.% GO), and graphite (5 wt.% GR) during manufacturing process (nonsolvent-induced phase separation, NIPS). The PSU flat sheet membrane was the reference sample.
Results:
Observed morphology of nanocomposite membranes was similar (SEM imaging); all of them had finger-like pore structure with unimodal distribution of pore size and similar skin-to-support ratio (1:3). The carbon nanoadditives also influenced the surface wettability: hydrophobicity and surface free energy of membranes increased (polar components of energy were reduced, while the dispersive components were increased).
Conclusion:
The surface charge of nanocomposite membranes increased, when the polymer matrix has been modified with CNT or GR. This significantly affects the adsorption of proteins such as chicken (CSA) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) and reduces blood clotting on the membrane.
