Surface treatment of polycarbonate films aimed at biomedical application

Abstract

Aiming to encapsulate pancreatic islets, a biocompatible polycarbonate membrane (Whatman) was treated with plasma argon in order to improve its surface properties. The argon plasma treatment decreased the hydrophobicity of the membrane by fixing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) at the surface. The water angle contact decreased from 47 degrees to 20 degrees after this treatment, while the structure and pore diameter were preserved. The treatment also increased significantly the water permeability from 62 +/- 8 ml/min to 200 +/- 29 ml/min (P < 0.001). ToF-SIMS analyses revealed that the argon plasma treatment of the membrane allowed the installation of an uniform PVP layer at the surface. The concentration equilibrum in glucose was reached after 8 h diffusion for the treated membrane, while it was only 32.4 +/- 8.6% (P < 0.01) for the untreated membrane. The biocompatibility of the polycarbonate membrane was assessed after one month of implantation in rats and proved to be unaffected by the surface treatment. In conclusion, the present study provided sufficient information to establish a relationship between the physicochemical modifications of the PVP-plasma-treated polycarbonate membrane and the improvement in its permeability.

Stability of atmospheric-pressure plasma induced changes on polycarbonate surfaces

“…Plasma surface modification of polycarbonate films is utilized in a number of applications such as enhancing biocompatibility [9] and improving adhesion between polycarbonate and silicon alloy in protective and optical coatings [10]. It has been observed that plasma treated polymers try to revert back to their original surface properties with time.…”

Surface Engineering by Coating of Hydrophilic Layers: Bioadhesion and Biocontamination

“…In a biological environment, the deposited layer swells and the drug is released during a period of several days. The hydrophilic coating of polyvinylpyrrolidone decreases the bioadhesion of endothelial cells [5] (Fig. 12.5) during implantation in the peritoneal cavity of the rat.…”

“…Some radicals formed during the plasma treatment would probably react with the polymer film. Surface examination by XPS analysis [5] before and after washing with water (Table 12.3) and even with phosphate detergent (e.g., with one of the solutions usual in hospitals, such as RBS ® detergent, consisting of a mixture of anionic and nonionic surfactants) indicates the presence of PVP coating on the substrate after the washing. These results are also found by ToF-SIMS spectroscopy [6], and lead to the idea of the formation of a thin polymer film covering the surface.…”

“…No bioadhesion of bacteria is required in order to protect the permeation properties of the membrane. The evaluation of a polycarbonate membrane coated with polyvinylpyrrolidone indicates that it has a lower affinity for immunoglobulins (IgG) [5] and for albumin [6] than the native one. Hence, the bioadhesion is lower.…”

Graphene Oxide Reinforced Polycarbonate Nanocomposite Films with Antibacterial Properties

“…However, PCs have certain drawbacks such as less antibacterial activities, stress cracking, low scratch resistance, high sensitivity to abrasive cleaners, and ability to deteriorate in many organic solvents [18,19]. Generally, the PC's antibacterial activity is being enhanced by functionalizing reactive groups/blending with other antibacterial materials [20][21][22][23].…”