Highlights Nitric oxide gas and donors are promising candidates for antiviral therapies. Combined with dual antimicrobial and antithrombotic properties. Emerging therapies are undergoing clinical trials. Potential to develop medical device surfaces resistant to viral contamination

It has been previously demonstrated that metal nanoparticles embedded into polymeric materials doped with nitric oxide (NO) donor compounds can accelerate the release rate of NO for therapeutic applications. Despite the advantages of elevated NO surface flux for eradicating opportunistic bacteria in the initial hours of application, metal nanoparticles can often trigger a secondary biocidal effect through leaching that can lead to unfavorable cytotoxic responses from host cells. Alternatively, copper-based metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have been shown to stabilize Cu 2+/1+ via coordination while demonstrating longerterm catalytic performance compared to their salt counterparts. Herein, the practical application of MOFs in NO-releasing polymeric substrates with an embedded NO donor compound was investigated for the first time. By developing composite thermoplastic silicon polycarbonate polyurethane (TSPCU) scaffolds, the catalytic effects achievable via intrapolymeric interactions between an MOF and NO donor compound were investigated using the water-stable copper-based MOF H 3 [(Cu 4 Cl) 3 (BTTri) 8 -(H 2 O) 12 ]•72H 2 O (CuBTTri) and the NO donor Snitroso-N-acetyl-penicillamine (SNAP). By creating a multifunctional triple-layered composite scaffold with CuBTTri and SNAP, the surface flux of NO from catalyzed SNAP decomposition was found tunable based on the variable weight percent CuBTTri incorporation. The tunable NO surface fluxes were found to elicit different cytotoxic responses in human cell lines, enabling application-specific tailoring. Challenging the TSPCU−NO−MOF composites against 24 h bacterial growth models, the enhanced NO release was found to elicit over 99% reduction in adhered and over 95% reduction in planktonic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, with similar results observed for Escherichia coli. These results indicate that the combination of embedded MOFs and NO donors can be used as a highly efficacious tool for the early prevention of biofilm formation on medical devices.

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Biofilm and thrombus formation on surfaces results in significant morbidity and mortality worldwide, which highlights the importance of the development of efficacious fouling-prevention approaches. In this work, novel highly robust and superhydrophobic coatings with outstanding multiliquid repellency, bactericidal performance, and extremely low bacterial and blood adhesion are fabricated by a simple two-step dip-coating method. The coatings are prepared combining 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane (FAS-17)-coated hydrophobic zinc oxide and copper nanoparticles to construct hierarchical micro/nanostructures on commercial polyurethane (PU) sponges followed by polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) treatment that is used to improve the binding degree between the nanoparticles and the sponge surface. The micro/nanotextured samples can repel various liquids including water, milk, coffee, juice, and blood. Relative to the original PU, the superhydrophobic characteristics of the fabricated sponge cause a significant reduction in the adhesion of bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus) by up to 99.9% over a 4-day period in a continuous drip-flow bioreactor. The sponge is also highly resistant to the adhesion of fibrinogen and activated platelets with ∼76 and 64% reduction, respectively, hence reducing the risk of blood coagulation and thrombus formation. More importantly, the sponge can sustain its superhydrophobicity even after being subjected to different types of harsh mechanical damage such as finger-wiping, knife-scratching, tape-peeling, hand-kneading, hand-rubbing, bending, compress–release (1000 cycles) tests, and 1000 cm sandpaper abrasion under 250 g of loading. Hence, this novel hybrid surface with robustness and the ability to resist blood adhesion and bacterial contamination makes it an attractive candidate for use in diverse application areas.

A new generation of extracorporeal artificial organ support technologies, collectively known as extracorporeal life support (ECLS) devices, is being developed for diverse applications to include acute support for trauma-induced organ failure, transitional support for bridge to organ transplant, and terminal support for chronic diseases. Across applications, one significant complication limits the use of these life-saving devices: thrombosis, bleeding, and inflammation caused by foreign surface–induced blood interactions. To address this challenge, transdisciplinary scientists and clinicians look to the vascular endothelium as inspiration for development of new biocompatible materials for ECLS. Here, we describe clinically approved and new investigational biomaterial solutions for thrombosis, such as immobilized heparin, nitric oxide-functionalized polymers, “slippery” nonadhesive coatings, and surface endothelialization. We describe how hemocompatible materials could abrogate the use of anticoagulant drugs during ECLS and by doing so radically change treatments in critical care. Additionally, we examine several special considerations for the design of biomaterials for ECLS, including: (1) preserving function of the artificial organ, (2) longevity of use, and (3) multifaceted approaches for the diversity of device functions and applications.