Hydrophilicity Enhancement of Polystyrene Membranes via Copper Nanoparticle Doping for Biomedical Applications

A novel polystyrene copper nanocomposite with an enhanced swelling ratio is presented for its potential application in medicine. Materials and Methods: Three variants (0.02,0.04, and 0.06 wt%) of the copper nanoparticle were prepared with polystyrene inclusion through solvent casting process to make the polystyrene with copper (Cu) nanocomposite (study) and the control polystyrene. The sample size was N=4. G-power of 80%, alpha error of 0.5, 95% confidence interval, and 0.05 threshold were applied to the sample. The swelling ratio and statistical analysis were two of the qualities that were used to characterize the two composite variants. Results: Using an independent T-test, the swelling ratios of the new polystyrene with copper composites and polystyrene were compared using SPSS software. According to the data, there exists a insignificant difference between the study group (p=0.141, p > 0.05). In comparison to plain polystyrene, the swelling ratio of polystyrene + 0.06 wt% Cu composite had a maximum swelling ratio of 9.6 ± 0.12%. Conclusion: For a composite consisting of polystyrene and copper, the current work provides a superior swelling ratio and also presents prospects for future tissue engineering and medical lab surgery..