Comparison of Protein Fouling on Heat-Treated Poly(vinyl alcohol), Poly(ether sulfone) and Regenerated Cellulose Membranes Using Diffuse Reflectance Infrared Fourier Transform Spectroscopy

Abstract

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) membranes for ultrafiltration were fabricated by heat-treatment to separate macromolecules from microsolutes. PVA is a hydrophilic polymer with good mechanical properties because of its semicrystalline structure. The membranes were heat-treated at 100 degrees C for 1 h to increase their crystallinity and thereby their mechanical strength. The mechanical strength of the membranes was evaluated using a dynamic mechanical analyzer by measuring their compressive and tensile moduli. Membrane selectivities and protein fouling of heat-treated PVA membranes were compared to the commercial poly(ether sulfone) (PeS) and regenerated cellulose membranes. Myoglobin from horse skeletal muscle was used as a model protein, and L-tryptophan was used as a model microsolute. Diffuse reflectance infrared Fourier transform spectroscopy (DRIFTS) was used to identify protein fouling on the surfaces of these membranes under flow and nonflow conditions. It was found from the selectivity and DRIFTS studies that PVA membranes were more resistant to fouling than regenerated cellulose and PeS membranes.

Morphology and permeability of cellulose/chitin blend membranes

“…Molar absorptivities were then calculated in terms of the Lambert-Beer law by standard methods (Table 1). Drug stability at room temperature was determined using Amanda's method [23].…”

Fabrication of Hydrophilic Polymer Brushes on Polystyrene Substrate by Plasma-based Surface Functionalization

“…[5][6][7][8] As the other methods, covalent immobilization and grafting of hydrophilic polymer such as poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and dextran have been examined for reducing nonspecific protein adsorption onto hydrophobic polymer substrate. [9][10][11] On the other hand, surfaces covered with bioinert polymer such as PEG may not be enough for some application due to absence of functional groups for further modification. In fact, the development of biosensor requires controlled immobilization of bioactive molecules for specific detection of a target molecule on excellent anti-fouling substrate surface.…”

Preventing Nonspecific Adsorption on Polymer Brush Covered Gold Electrodes Using a Modified ATRP Initiator

“…Polymers such as poly(vinyl alcohol), poly(acrylamide), dextran, and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) have been used as coating materials to prevent nonspecific adsorption. [3][4][5][6][7] The elimination or minimization of nonspecific binding itself may not be enough for certain applications. The development of biosensors for biomedical diagnostics requires controlled immobilization of bioactive species so that the specific recognition ligands are bound to the sensor surface in a favorable orientation.…”