Hydrophilic monomers suppress the adsorption of plasma protein onto a poly(vinylidene fluoride) membrane

Dialysis is the single most important therapy for chronic kidney disease. However, protein adsorption onto hemodialysis membranes promotes clot formation. The aim of the present study was to develop a surface-modified membrane which suppresses protein adsorption. Using plasma polymerization, hydrophilic N-vinyl pyrrolidone (VP) and acryloyl morpholine (ACMO) were polymerized on hydrophobic poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) surfaces. PVDF is employed as a biomaterial owing to its extraordinary durability. These membranes were then characterized using static contact angle measurement, ATR-FTIR spectra and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The surface-modified PVDF membranes showed a transition of the surface from relatively hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Less proteins were adsorbed on the VP and ACMO grafted PVDF surfaces than on the unmodified membrane and the commercially available hemodialysis membrane. In conclusion, VP and ACMO grafted PVDF membranes have a high potential for the inhibition of protein adsorption in high-performance hemopurification devices.