The preparation of amphiphilic carbonaceous particle-derived membranes as a potent sterilant and anticoagulant

<i>Objective</i>: To synthesize and evaluate the function of antibacterial and anticoagulant properties of amphiphilic carbonaceous particle (ACP) derived polyurethane composite membranes TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep. <i>Methods</i>: ACPs, ACPs-CS, ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag, ACPs-CS-Hep and ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep were prepared and mixed with a TPU matrix, to assess the dispersibility respectively. The blank TPU, TPU/ACPs, TPU/ACPs-CS, TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag, TPU/ACPs-CS-Hep and TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep membranes were prepared. The hydrophilicity of these composite membranes was determined by <i>t</i> contact angle test. Their mechanical properties were measured by an electronic precision universal experimental machine. The antibacterial activity was detected by co-culturing the composite membrane and bacteria. The anticoagulant activity was evaluated by incubating the composite membrane with the anticoagulant blood. <i>Results</i>: ACPs, ACPs-CS, ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag, ACPs-CS-Hep and ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep were dispersed in the hydrophobic TPU matrix and formed uniform composite membranes with TPU matrix. The contact angles of blank TPU, TPU/ACPs, TPU/ACPs-CS, TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag, TPU/ACPs-CS-Hep, and TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep composite membranes were 103.2°, 97.5°, 87.2°, 86.9°, 81.8° and 84.7°, respectively, indicating that the hydrophilicity of the TPU membrane could be enhanced by functional ACPs. The tensile strength of the five composite membranes increased compared with the TPU control. Compared with blank TPU, TPU/ACPs, TPU/ACPs-CS and TPU/ACPs-CS-Hep membranes, the TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag and TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep membranes exhibited better antibacterial activity, as evidenced by reducing bacterial survival rate and adhesion after co-culture with <i>S. aureus</i>, <i>E. coli</i>, <i>C. albicans</i> and MRSA bacteria. The membranes of TPU, TPU/ACPs and TPU/ACPs-CS instead of TPU/ACPs-CS-Hep and TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep led to blood coagulation, validating the anticoagulant effect of ACPs-CS-Hep-based membranes. Compared with blank TPU, 1 wt% of TPU/ACPs-CS-Hep, TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep and 3 wt% of TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep membranes resulted in decreased platelet adhesion; TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep with 3 wt% showed stronger inhibition of platelet adhesion than the corresponding 1 wt% membrane, suggesting that ACPs-CS-Hep-based membranes had antiplatelet adhesion activity in a dose-dependent manner. <i>Conclusion</i>: The TPU/ACPs-CS-PVS-Ag/ACPs-CS-Hep membrane has been successfully synthesized and possessed excellent antibacterial and anticoagulant properties.