Abstract
To modify the surface properties of segmented polyurethane (SPU), 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC) polymers were applied. We prepared different molecular architectures of the MPC polymers, that is, random-type, block-type, and graft-type to investigate durability of the MPC polymer layer on the SPU. The SPU membranes modified with the MPC polymers were characterized using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The better stability was observed in the poly(MPC-graft-2-ethylhexyl methacrylate (EHMA))(gPMEH) polymer layer on the SPU membrane after immersion in an aqueous medium, the possible reason would be the intermiscibility of the poly(EHMA) segments and the soft segments in the SPU. Each SPU/MPC polymer membrane demonstrated a dramatic suppression of protein adsorption from human plasma. From these results, the antithrombogenicity of the 2.0 mm diameter SPU/gPMEH tubings was investigated. We concluded that the SPU membrane modified with the gPMEH was one of the promising polymeric biomaterials for making blood-contacting medical devices.
