Using PDMS coated TFC-RO membranes for CO2/N2 gas separation: Experimental study,modeling and optimization

Thin film composite (TFC) reverse osmosis (RO) membranes are semipermeable membranes that are utilized in water purification or water desalination systems. Discarding these membranes after end-of-life leads to environmental problems. Reusing old TFC-RO membranes is one way to solve this problem. For this reason, in this study, used TFC-RO membranes were coated with polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for CO₂/N₂ gas separation application. Attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) was utilized to confirm the crosslinking of coated PDMS. The morphology of PDMS/TFC-RO membranes was characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The parameters that can affect performance of prepared membranes (N₂ permeance and CO₂/N₂ selectivity) are concentration of PDMS solution, coating time, solvent evaporation time and curing temperature and time. Given that the used membranes don't have uniform surfaces, the first step of this study was to investigate the effect of the above mentioned factors on virgin membranes using fractional factorial design (FFD) of experiments. The results obtained showed that PDMS concentration is the most significant factor that has a negative effect on N₂ permeance and positive effect on CO₂/N₂ selectivity. The reported CO₂/N₂ selectivity of PDMS membranes was 11–12, but this selectivity for prepared PDMS/TFC-RO membranes was in the range of 6.7–22.5. After determining optimum conditions, the gas separation performance of PDMS coated used TFC-RO membrane under these conditions was finally determined. The results showed that the used membranes had a better performance than virgin membranes.     

Simple method of fabrication of hydrophobic coatings for polyurethanes

The aim of this study was to develop a method of manufacturing versatile hydrophobic coatings for polymers. Authors present a simple technique of polyurethane (PU) surface modification with covalently attached silicones (PDMS) or fluorocarbons (PFC). Diisocyanates were applied as linker molecules. The obtained coatings were characterized using spectroscopic analysis (FTIR), scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) and water contact angle measurements. FTIR analysis revealed high efficiency of grafting reaction. The results of contact angle measurement indicated significant increase of hydrophobicity — from 66° (unmodified PU) to 113° (PU grafted with PDMS) and 118° (PU grafted with PFC). Acoustic microscopy analysis confirmed satisfactory homogeneity and smoothness of the fabricated layers. In vitro cell tests revealed non-adherent properties of the surfaces. Both, MTT assay and fluorescence staining confirmed non-cytotoxicity of the coatings, which makes them potential candidates for use in biomedical applications.      

Polyurethane vascular catheter surface grafted with zwitterionic sulfobetaine monomer activated by ozone

Polyurethane (PU) is a conventional biomedical material with favorable biocompatibility and excellent mechanical properties and widely used in making vascular catheter, but its antithrombogenic property is not good enough to make it as a more demanding applicable biomaterial. Surface modification is an effective way to improve the hemocompatibility for biomaterials. The purpose of present study was to use ozonization method to modify the surface of PU vascular catheter slice to improve its antithrombogenicity by grafting N,N-dimethyl-N-methacryloxyethyl-N-(3-sulfopropyl) ammonium (DMMSA), a zwitterionic sulfobetaine monomer. PU vascular catheter (PUVC) grafted with DMMSA (PUVC-g-PDMMSA) was characterized by ATR-FTIR and XPS. ATR-FTIR and XPS investigation confirmed the graft polymerization. The blood compatibility of the grafted films was evaluated by platelet rich plasma (PRP) platelet adhesion study and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to observe the morphology of platelet using PU vascular catheter (PUVC) as the reference. No platelet adhesion was observed for the grafted PUVC slice incubated with PRP at 37 degrees C for 120 min. It is significant that this new zwitterionic sulfobetaine grafted PUVC have improved antithrobogenicity. It is effective that the inner surface of vascular catheter with inner diameter in only 3mm can be grafted with PDMMSA by using ozonization method.     

Surface grafting polyethylene glycol (PEG) onto poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) films

Two reaction schemes were developed to covalently graft poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains on poly(ethylene-co-acrylic acid) (EAA) surfaces. The schemes involved surface grafting of linker molecules L-lysine or polypropyleneamine dendrimer (AM64), with subsequent covalent bonding of PEG chains to the linker molecules. NHS and EDC were used to activate the carboxylic acid groups of the EAA in the outermost region of the film, estimated to be 20 nm by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. XPS demonstrated that the conversion of this activation step was almost 100% in the detected region. After activation, L-lysine or dendrimer was grafted onto the EAA surface, followed by PEG grafting. Combining the data from ATR-FTIR, XPS, and contact angle goniometry, it was found that the PEG chains were grafted on the surface of the EAA film and larger surface coverage was achieved when the dendrimer was used as the intermediate layer. This surface also had the lowest water contact angle.     

细胞相容性聚氨酯的合成及其细胞相容性研究

在紫外光和过氧化氢的共同作用下,过氧化氢基团被引人到聚氨酯膜(PU)表面.将丙烯酸羟乙酯(HEA)吸附于氧化后的PU膜表面,在紫外光下实现了膜表面的接枝,并考察了接枝膜的表面性能.人体脐带静脉内皮细胞粘附和生长的研究表明,HEA接枝后的PU表面细胞粘附率显著提高,细胞的生长速率加快,增值率提高.     

不饱和糖功能单体接枝聚氨酯膜的制备及其血液相容性

通过葡萄糖、丙烯酸羟乙酯和丁二胺反应,制备了含不饱和双键的糖基功能单体。 采用傅里叶红外光谱和核磁共振氢谱对合成的产物进行结构表征确定。 采用紫外光引发接枝聚合技术,将制备的不饱和糖单体接枝聚合到聚氨酯膜的表面,以衰减全反射模式下傅里叶红外光谱对表面接枝反应进行了确认。 通过静态水接触角实验和血小板黏附实验,分别对改性聚氨酯膜表面的亲水性和血液相容性进行了研究,结果表明,改性聚氨酯膜表面的接触角从86°降低到45°,血小板的粘附量由14.36×10³ cells/mm²减少到2.57×10³ cells/mm²,亲水性明显增强,血液相容性显著改善。     

Achieving structural control with thin polystyrene-b-polydimethylsiloxane block copolymer films: The complex relationship of interface chemistry,annealing methodology and process conditions

The structure of thin microphase-separated polystyrene-block-polydimethylsiloxane (PS–PDMS) films has been studied using state-of-the-art top-down and cross-sectional electron microscopy. This is the first time that the profile of PS–PDMS films has been measured in situ and these measurements allowed us to image the shape of the PDMS domains within the film as well as examine the wetting behavior of the block copolymer film on a variety of substrates. It was found that for each polymer, substrate chemistry and annealing method combination examined, there was a small range of film thicknesses whereby the films exhibited the optimal characteristics of high levels of ordering without dewetting or multilayering. Specifically, the optimum thickness for films treated by thermal annealing was greater than that for the equivalent solvent annealed film; a change that was correlated with morphology variations related to solvent swelling of the solvent annealed films. The surface chemistry also induced changes in the optimum film thickness. Selective surfaces were shown to control whether a PDMS wetting layer was formed or not, leading to either thicker or thinner wetting optimum film thicknesses; while undulating morphologies were observed for less selective surfaces. Concomitant changes in the periodicity were then hypothesized to occur as a result of confinement effects and the selectivity of the surface.     

Laser induced surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane as a super-hydrophobic material

In order to render the surface of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) super-hydrophobic without changing its bulk properties, a PDMS film without photosensitizer was exposed to CO₂ pulsed laser, at room temperature, as the excitation source. The modified surfaces have been studied by performing scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) and attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy. To evaluate the surface property, the water drop contact angle was measured. The dependence of ---Si---O---Si infrared peak intensity, O/Si ratio and water drop contact angle of the treated PDMS as a function of the number of laser pulses were studied. SEM micrographs and water drop contact angle variations show the uniform porosity and super-hydrophobic nature on the surface of PDMS. ATR-FTIR spectra show that the modified PDMS surface contains carbonate groups which enriched the oxygen content of the surface. EDXA analysis shows a higher percentage of oxygen on the surface of the modified PDMS. The hydrophobicity of the samples was found to depend upon the number of laser pulses, but with significant variation between the treated samples. The bulk mechanical properties of PDMS after being laser-treated did not change as shown by dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA).     

Synthesis and surface characterization of heparin-immobilized polyetherurethanes

Novel poly(ether urethanes) containing diester groups in the side chains (PU) were synthesized from 4,4′-diphenylmethyl diisocyanate, polytetramethylene glycol, and diethyl bis(hydroxymethyl)malonate as a chain extender. The surface modification of the PU film was carried out by a hydrolysis reaction, poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) grafting, and heparin immobilization, and the surface-modified PUs were then characterized by attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA), and a contact angle goniometer. The concentration of carboxylic acid groups introduced on the PU surfaces as determined by the rhodamine interaction method was 61 nmol/cm² when treated with 4N NaOH/methanol (1 : 2 v/v) for 30 min and subsequently with a citric acid–methanolic aqueous solution. The amounts of heparin coupled to the carboxyl groups on the PU surfaces and to the terminus amino groups on the PU-PEO were 0.92 and 0.84 μ g/cm², respectively. There was almost no heparin released from the immobilized surface of a physiological solution for 100 h, thereby indicating the strong stability of immobilized heparin. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J. Polym. Sci. A Polym. Chem. 36: 2331–2338, 1998     

血液相容材料的合成研究Ⅷ.磺铵两性离子单体在聚醚氨酯表面的臭氧活化接枝

生物相容性 ,特别是血液相容性是生物医用材料极其重要的性能[1] .提高不凝血性一直是生物材料研究与发展 (Ｒ Ｄ)的主要内容之一 ,半个多世纪来 ,不凝血材料的Ｒ Ｄ已取得了很大的发展[2 ] .但还不能满足心血管植入物 (Ｃａｒｄｉｏｖａｓｃｕｌａｒｉｍｐｌａｎｔｓ)及心血管医物 (Ｃａｒｄｉｏｖａｓｃｕｌａｒｄｅｖｉｃｅｓ)对不凝血性的需要 .Ｒａｔｎｅｒ[3 ] 在最近一次的血液相容性问题研讨会上再次强调了不凝血材料研究的紧迫性 .会议的报告也反映了该领域的研究现状 ,并提出了今后要研究的问题等 .目前不凝血性较好的材料仅有聚…     

Incorporation of polydimethylsiloxane into polyurethanes and characterization of copolymers

Novel copolymers of polyurethane (PU) were prepared by direct transurethanetion reaction of a commercial PU with polydimethylsiloxanes (PDMS, MW 1000, 5000, and 10,000) containing hydroxyl end-groups. Transurethanetions with different mass ratios of hydrophobic PDMS to hydrophilic PU chains (PDMS1000–PU: 43:57, 67:33, 71:29, and 80:20; PDMS5000–PU: 37:63, and 51:49; PDMS10000–PU: 51:49) were carried out in solution at 65 and 100 °C. In catalyzed reactions, dibutyltin dilaurate (SnC₃₂H₆₄O₄) was used to promote bond breaking in the PU chain and accelerate the reaction between hydroxyl end-groups of PDMS and regenerated isocyanates of PU. The chemical structures of the prepared copolymers were comprehensively characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, and ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopies. According to elemental analysis, the content of PDMS varied between 3 wt.% and 16 wt.%, and results obtained from the ¹H NMR spectroscopy were in good agreement with the results of elemental analysis. Increased length of the hydrophobic chain increased the content of PDMS in the copolymer. The GPC results showed that molar masses of the PUPDMS copolymers were lower than the molar mass of the starting PU. The glass transitions (T_g) of the copolymers were shifted to lower temperature as compared with T_g of the starting polyurethane. ATR FTIR spectroscopy showed the surface of the copolymer films to be enriched with siloxane groups and, according to electron microscopy, it was textured with microspheres. The static contact angles for copolymer films measured with deionized water ranged from 94° to 117°. The different structural, thermal and surface properties of the PUPDMS copolymers as compared with PU indicated that transurethanetion had taken place.     

Contrasting thermal behavior and low-temperature flexibility of PDMS-grafted and poly(2-ethylhexyl acrylate)-grafted polyurethane

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was grafted onto polyurethane (PU) to form a P series, and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA) was graft-polymerized onto PU to form an E series. The spectroscopic, thermal, tensile, shape memory, and low-temperature flexibility properties of the P and E series were compared. With an increase in the PDMS content, the T_g of the P series gradually increased, whereas the T_g of the E series was not affected by an increase in the EHA content. The tensile strength of the P and E series sharply increased with the PDMS or EHA content without a significant decrease in tensile strain. The shape recovery of the P and E series remained high after four repeated tests. However, shape retention of the P series significantly decreased with an increase in the PDMS content. Finally, the P series demonstrated excellent low-temperature flexibility from ?35°C compared with the E series and control PUs.     

Surface modification of an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer film: grafting amine-terminated linear and branched architectures

Polymer films can be tailored for a specific application by modifying their surface properties. In this study, linear and branched architectures were grafted to ethylene-acrylic acid (EAA) copolymer films using the so-called grafting from approach. Dicyclohexylcarbodiimide was used to activate the carboxylic acid functionality on the surface of the EAA copolymer film before reacting it with selected di- and tri-amine compounds. The carboxylic acid functionality was subsequently regenerated by reacting the amine-grafted film with succinic anhydride. These reaction steps were then repeated to create the linear and branched architectures on the EAA film surface. The film surface resulting from each reaction step was analyzed using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. A systematic analysis of the ATR-FTIR results was performed to estimate the average conversion of the reaction schemes and to explain the observed contact angle results. A significant reduction in water contact angle for the EAA film grafted with a branched architecture was observed. The EAA film grafted with a linear architecture showed a marginal reduction in water contact angle when ethanol was used as a solvent for ethylenediamine. When the solvent for ethylenediamine was changed to water, the contact angle decreased noticeably. However, analysis of control films showed that the reduction in the contact angles was due to the solvent treatment. In the case of branched architectures, such reduction in contact angle due to the solvent treatment was not observed. Several control experiments were performed to ensure that the reduction in the contact angles was in fact due to the grafted species and not due to exposure to various solvents used in the reaction scheme.     

Laser surface modification of polymers to improve biocompatibility: HEMA grafted PDMS, in vitro assay—III

Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surface modifications were carried out using CO₂-pulsed laser, without photosensitizer at ambient condition, to introduce peroxide groups onto the PDMS surface. Such peroxides were capable of initiating graft polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) onto the PDMS. The modified surfaces were characterized using a variety of techniques including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-FTIR) and the water drop contact angle measurements. Data from in vitro assays indicated a significant reduction of the platelet adhesion and aggregation for the modified surfaces.     

Surface modification of waterborne polyurethane

Fluorinated urethane oligomers (SMAs) having repeat unit identical to the hard segment of base polyurethane (PU) have been synthesized and blended with base PU prior to dispersion. XPS and static contact angle measurements showed that surfaces of dispersion cast film are significantly enriched with SMA although SMA and base PU were miscible in bulk phase showing a single glass transition temperature. AFM showed that surface roughness of the dispersion cast film increased over 13 times with the addition of SMA (15%) providing possible mechanism of increased water and oil resistance as well as low friction coefficient of the film.     

Ozone-induced graft polymerization onto polymer surface

Ozone-induced graft polymerization was carried out to improve polymer surfaces. The polymers were exposed to ozone and the surface density of peroxides formed was determined by three methods; iodide, DPPH, and peroxidase method. The peroxide production could be readily controlled by the ozone concentration and the ozone exposure time. In addition, it was dependent on the kind of polymer. Further, it seemed probable that the ozone oxidation introduced peroxides not only on the outermost surface but also into a layer deeper from the outermost surface. Such polymeric peroxides were capable of initiating graft polymerization onto PU. All the physical and biological measurements on the grafted surface indicated that ozone-induced graft polymerization has effectively made the PU surface covered with the grafted water-soluble chains, their location being restricted to the film surface region. The interaction of the PU surface with blood components could be greatly reduced by the surface graft polymerization. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Microscale patterning of organic films on carbon surfaces using electrochemistry and soft lithography

We have demonstrated three simple strategies employing poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) molds for patterning carbon surfaces with two different modifiers in an 18 microm line pattern. The PDMS molds are patterned with microfluidic channels (approximately 22 microm wide and 49 microm deep) and form a reversible, conformal seal to the pyrolyzed photoresist film (PPF) and modified PPF surfaces. Modifiers are electrochemically grafted to the PPF surface by the reduction of aryl diazonium salts and the oxidation of primary amines. For the fill-in patterning approach, the first modifier is electrografted to the PPF surface exposed within the microchannels, and in a second grafting step after removal of the PDMS mold, the second modifier fills in the remaining surface. The selective conversion strategy involves electrografting a continuous film of the modifier to the PPF surface, sealing the PDMS mold to the modified surface and carrying out an irreversible electrochemical reaction of the modifier exposed within the microchannels. In the build-up patterning approach, the PDMS mold is sealed to the modified PPF surface, and a chemical coupling reaction is effected in the microchannels to build up the pattern. The patterns are characterized using SEM, optical microscopy, the formation of condensation figures, and SEM imaging after the assembly of Au nanoparticles.     

Surface modification and aging studies of addition-curing silicone rubbers by oxygen plasma

Poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) has been focused on recently due to its variety of applications specifically in microsystems technology. Many companies market two-component PDMS, which is comprised of a base component and a curing agent. Widely known and used for microsystems applications is Sylgard 184 from Dow Corning. Present work deals with two-component Room Temperature Vulcanized (RTV) PDMS from three different companies. They are Sylgard 184 from Dow Corning, RTV 615 from GE Silicones and RTV 141 from Rhodia Chemicals. Temporary increase in wettability of these three different types of PDMS by oxygen plasma by varying the plasma power and exposure time has been studied and compared with results available in literature. The hydrophobic recovery of the modified surfaces was monitored as a function of time and quantified. The surfaces were characterized using contact angle measurements and ATR-FTIR and XPS spectroscopy, their behavior analyzed in term of free surface energy and work of adhesion.     

In vitro and in vivo evaluation of the antibacterial properties of a nisin-grafted hydrated mucin multilayer film

Microbial infection is one of the most serious problems in the field of medical devices, particularly in implants. Herein, we have designed and constructed a (mucin/poly(ethyleneimine))_n ((mucin/PEI)_n) multilayer film using a layer-by-layer self-assembly method and the grafting of antimicrobial peptides to enhance the bactericidal efficacy. Water contact angle measurements and atomic force microscopy images revealed that the hydrated multilayer film created a highly hydrophilic surface with a low roughness. The functionalized polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces were shown to be effective in preventing bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption and in reducing bacterial adhesion. Bactericidal activity of the (mucin/PEI)_n-nisin coatings, measured by scanning electron microscopy and a LIVE/DEAD bacterial viability kit, was remarkably effective against S. aureus owing to the grafting of nisin. In vivo subcutaneous incisions were made in New Zealand white rabbits and were implanted with multilayer-film-modified and uncoated PDMS. Both the evaluation of the appearance of the wound and the histopathology analysis demonstrated that implantation of the antibacterial-coating-modified PDMS promoted wound healing and showed an anti-inflammatory effect. The multilayer film proved to be nontoxic towards human lens epithelial cells, which can potentially be widely used to modify biomedical implants.     

Inhibition of protein adsorption and cell adhesion on PNIPAAm-grafted polyurethane surface: effect of graft molecular weight

In this work, the effect of molecular weight (MW) of surface grafted poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) on protein adsorption and cell adhesion was investigated systematically. PNIPAAm-grafted polyurethane (PU) surfaces of varying graft MW were prepared via conventional radical polymerization. The MW was controlled by adjusting the monomer concentration. Fibrinogen (Fg) and human serum albumin (HSA) were selected as model proteins and their adsorption from phosphate-buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4) and blood plasma at 37°C was measured using a radiolabeling method and immunoblot analysis respectively. It was found that in both media, as the MW increased, the adsorption of these two proteins decreased gradually reaching a plateau value at MW above 7.9×10(4). Compared to the unmodified PU, the surface grafted with PNIPAAm of MW 14.6×10(4) reduced the adsorption of Fg and HSA in PBS by 91% and 86%, respectively. Moreover, the surfaces with higher MW PNIPAAm showed minimal adhesion of L929 cells presumably due to the absence of cell-adhesive proteins on the surfaces.