Biocompatibility, mechanical, thermal, and physicochemical properties of heparin/chitosan-gallic acid-crosslinked polyurethanes for cardiovascular device design

Abstract Polyurethanes are versatile polymers that are frequently utilized in biomedical devices. To improve biocompatibility and antibacterial performance for the development of cardiovascular devices, we present in this study the novel synthesis of polyurethanes modified with chitosan grafted with gallic acid. Using castor oil and isophorone diisocyanate, the prepolymer method was used to create the polyurethanes. Heparin (0.05 and 0.1 weight percent) and chitosan-gallic acid conjugates (1, 2, and 3 weight percent) were also added. Tensile testing, DSC, and TGA were used to assess mechanical and thermal properties, While FTIR and SEM were used for structural and surface characterizations. The materials interacted favorably with l-929 fibroblast cells and demonstrated enhanced mechanical resistance and thermal stability. Furthermore, hemocompatibility tests and antibacterial assays against Escherichia coli and MRSA validated their potential for biomaterials. One promising method for creating next-generation polyurethanes with improved biological functionality for cardiovascular applications is functionalization using gallic acid-grafted chitosan. Graphical abstract