Autonomous Anticoagulation on a Biomimetic Al-Based Hierarchical Surface

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Superhydrophobic (SH) surfaces offer potential for blood-contact applications due to their unique properties.
• Understanding the anticoagulation mechanisms of SH surfaces is critical for their development.
• Existing research needs to further elucidate the performance of various SH surfaces in biological environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate and evaluate microprotrusion array SH surfaces on aluminum (Al) substrates.
• To assess the blood repellency and autonomous anticoagulation properties of these SH surfaces.
• To investigate the relationship between surface structure and anticoagulant behavior.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of SH Al surfaces with varying microprotrusion spacings using laser ablation.
• Utilizing organic adsorption and siloxane coupling reactions for surface modification.
• In vitro evaluation of protein adsorption, platelet adhesion, hemolysis, and toxicity.

Main Results:

• The fabricated SH Al surfaces demonstrated effective prevention of nonspecific protein adsorption and platelet adhesion.
• No hemolysis or toxicity was observed in in vitro experiments.
• SH surfaces maintained antiplatelet adhesion and inhibited platelet activation after 7 days in platelet-rich plasma.

Conclusions:

• The developed SH Al surfaces exhibit excellent blood repellency and autonomous anticoagulation properties.
• The hierarchical micronano structure of SH surfaces is directly linked to their anticoagulant behavior.
• These SH surfaces represent a promising strategy for advanced metallic materials in blood-contact medical devices.