Enhanced separation performance and biocompatibility of polyethersulfone hollow fiber membranes using titanium...

Organ failure such as kidney and liver remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide, necessitating effective therapeutic strategies to sustain patients until the availability of suitable donor. Hemodialysis serves as the most widely adopted and viable renal replacement therapy. Ongoing research focuses on the development of advanced biomaterials to improve the performance and biocompatibility of hemodialysis and bioartificial kidney systems. In this study, titanium diboride derived nanomaterial (TBN) was incorporated into polyethersulfone (PES) hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) during the spinning process to fabricate functional HFMs with enhanced properties such as hemocompatibility, biocompatibility and separation performance. TBN was incorporated into PES HFMs at varying concentrations (0.01 %, 0.025 %, 0.05 %) during spinning. Hydrogel based on TiB₂ (denoted as TBN gel) was also utilized for tissue engineering in bioreactor application for growth and proliferation of kidney and liver cell lines (HEK293 and HepG2). Characterization by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and contact angle analysis showed concentric HFMs, enhanced surface morphology, roughness and wettability. Biocompatibility studies confirmed improved cell adhesion, viability, and proliferation of HEK293 on TBN-blended and both HEK293 and HepG2 cells on TBN gel coated HFMs. Hemocompatibility tests indicated < 5 % hemolysis and low complement activation, demonstrating suitability for blood-contacting applications. Additionally, TBN blended HFMs showed enhanced water flux, highest for 0.01 TBN (141.92 ± 2.12 ml.m^-2.h^-1.mmHg^-1), effectively removed low molecular weight, middle molecular weight, and protein-bound uremic toxins, highlighting their potential for hemodialysis and bioartificial kidney use.