Inorganic-Organic Interfacial Engineering of Earth-Abundant Phytoliths for Multifunctional Hemostat

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing multifunctional hemostatic agents from natural, earth-abundant minerals is a sustainable approach for biomedical applications.
• The inherent complexity and heterogeneity of these minerals pose challenges for integrating biofunctionality.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer a high-performance hemostat using phytoliths through an inorganic-organic interfacial approach.
• To incorporate hemostatic, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties into a single platform.

Main Methods:

• Utilized synergistic noncovalent interactions between phytoliths and functional organic molecules (poly(acrylic acid), polyethylenimine, polylysine, berberine).
• Fabricated a multifunctional hemostat platform.
• Evaluated hemostat performance in a mouse liver hemorrhage model.

Main Results:

• The engineered phytolith-based hemostat exhibited rapid blood-triggered powder-to-hydrogel transition and high water absorption.
• Achieved hemostasis in 54.83 ± 4.06 s with minimal blood loss (107.97 ± 5.19 mg) in a mouse model.
• Demonstrated superior performance compared to unmodified phytoliths and a commercial control.

Conclusions:

• Established a physicochemical rationale for repurposing natural minerals into advanced multifunctional hemostats.
• The developed hemostat shows excellent biocompatibility and potential for biomedical applications.
• This approach offers a sustainable strategy for creating high-performance hemostatic materials.