Recent Developments in Blood-Compatible Superhydrophobic Surfaces

Abstract

Superhydrophobic surfaces, as indicated in the name, are highly hydrophobic and readily repel water. With contact angles greater than 150° and sliding angles less than 10°, water droplets flow easily and hardly wet these surfaces. Superhydrophobic materials and coatings have been drawing increasing attention in medical fields, especially on account of their promising applications in blood-contacting devices. Superhydrophobicity controls the interactions of cells with the surfaces and facilitates the flowing of blood or plasma without damaging blood cells. The antibiofouling effect of superhydrophobic surfaces resists adhesion of organic substances, including blood components and microorganisms. These attributes are critical to medical applications such as filter membranes, prosthetic heart valves, extracorporeal circuit tubing, and indwelling catheters. Researchers have developed various methods to fabricate blood-compatible or biocompatible superhydrophobic surfaces using different materials. In addition to being hydrophobic, these surfaces can also be antihemolytic, antithrombotic, antibacterial, and antibiofouling, making them ideal for clinical applications. In this review, the authors summarize recent developments of blood-compatible superhydrophobic surfaces, with a focus on methods and materials. The expectation of this review is that it will support the biomedical research field by providing current trends as well as future directions.

Engraving of stainless-steel wires to improve optical quality of closed-loop wire-guided flow jet systems for optical and X-ray spectroscopy

“…Lotus leaves have micro- and nano-structured surfaces composed of 10–15 μm sized papillae which, together with epicuticular waxes superimposed to this structure, cause the leaf surface to be ultra-hydrophobic ( Barthlott, 1997 ). In general, the effect of micro-structuring a surface to make it hydrophobic or super-hydrophobic is very well known in the micro- and nano-fabrication community ( Dong, 2019 ; Wang, 2022 ).…”

Highly durable superhydrophobic surfaces based on a protective frame and crosslinked PDMS-candle soot coatings

“…For instance, implantable medical devices, such as metal mesh-based heart stents, covered stents, cardiac occluders, etc. can be developed considering superhydrophobic surfaces have been preliminarily demonstrated with blood-repellent properties for anticoagulation and antithrombus [30][31][32]. In addition, superhydrophobic SSM has been widely used for metal corrosion protection and oil-water separation [33].…”

Selective Recovery of Ethyl Acetate by Air-Sparged Membrane Distillation Using Carbon Nanotube-Immobilized Membranes and Process Optimization via a Response Surface Approach

“…Membrane distillation (MD) is an effective separation method for removing organic solvents from aqueous media. , In MD, a porous hydrophobic membrane selectively transport vapor molecules through the pores while repelling the liquid phase. − MD offers several advantages in solvent recovery over classical distillation, including lower operating temperatures (well below the boiling point) and lower capital investment. − Furthermore, the heat required in MD can be obtained from alternative energy sources such as solar energy or microwave to make it more energy-efficient. MD can be easily integrated with other membrane processes including ultrafiltration, pervaporation (PV), and RO. − …”