Evaluation of plasma polymerized hexamethylcyclotrisiloxane biomaterials towards adhesion of canine platelets and leucocytes

Plasma Polymerized Coatings on Hollow Fiber Membranes-Applications and Their Aging Characteristics in Different Media

In the past 30 years, plasma polymerization has emerged as a versatile technique for depositing ultrathin nanocoating on a variety of substrates for applications that range from providing lubricity to the substrate, protection from harsh environments, promoting adhesion, surface modification to applications of coating in ultrafiltration and gas separation membranes. Applications in the field of volatile organic compound (VOC) recovery and membrane distillation have also gained importance in recent years. Most of these applications use silicone and fluorosilicone-based plasma polymers that provide versatility, good separation characteristics, and long-term stability to the membrane. However, plasma polymers are known to age with time. The current study focuses on the aging behavior of silicone and fluorosilicone plasma polymers in different environments that include air, ionized air, heat, aqueous solutions of inorganic chemicals, as well as harsh solvents such as hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), and toluene. Membrane gas permeance and gas selectivity were used to quantitatively measure the aging behavior of the coatings on gas separation membranes, while water and VOC flux were used to measure the effect of aging for membranes designed for membrane distillation and VOC separation. It was found that while all plasma polymers of this study showed changes in membrane gas permeance on exposure to air, they fundamentally retained their membrane separation characteristics in all the studied environments. Significant changes in gas permeability characteristics were observed on exposure of the membranes to organic solvents like dichloromethane, 2-propanol, hexane, and toluene, which are attributed to dimensional changes in the hollow fiber substrate rather than changes in plasma polymer characteristics. Ionized air was also found to have a significant effect on the gas permeability characteristic of the membranes, reducing the gas permeance by as much as 50% in some cases. This is attributed to accelerated oxidation and crosslinking of the polymer in ionized air. XPS studies showed an increase in the oxygen content of the polymer on aging. Differences were found in the aging behavior of polymer coatings made from different monomers with long-chain monomers such as hexamethyltrisiloxane offering more stable coatings. The cross-link density of the polymer also influenced the aging behavior, with the more cross-linked polymer showing a lesser influence on aging in a chemical environment. No significant effect of aging was found on applications of these polymer coatings in the field of membrane distillation, pervaporation, and VOC removal, and a stable performance was observed over a long period of time. It was also noted that the selection of co-monomers played a significant role in membrane distillation, with polymers forming fluoro co-monomers giving better results. The current study also demonstrated the usefulness of plasma polymers in controlling the pore size of microporous membranes that can find useful applications in bio-filtration and VOC recovery.

Stable biopassive insulation synthesized by initiated chemical vapor deposition of poly(1,3,5-trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane)

The permanent implantation of electronic probes capable of recording neural activity patterns requires long-term electrical insulation of these devices by biopassive coatings. In this work, the material properties and neural cell compatibility of a novel polymeric material, poly(trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane) (poly(V3D3)), are demonstrated to be suitable for application as permanently bioimplanted electrically insulating films. The poly(V3D3) polymeric films are synthesized by initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD), allowing for conformal and flexible encapsulation of fine wires. The poly(V3D3) also exhibits high adhesive strength to silicon substrates, a common material of manufacture for neural probes. The poly(V3D3) films were found to be insoluble in both polar and nonpolar solvents, consistent with their highly cross-linked structure. The films are pinhole-free and extremely smooth, having a root-mean-square (rms) roughness of 0.4 nm. The material possesses a bulk resistivity of 4 x 1015 Ohm-cm exceeding that of Parylene-C, the material currently used to insulate neurally implanted devices. The iCVD poly(V3D3) films are hydrolytically stable and are demonstrated to maintain their electrical properties under physiological soak conditions, and constant electrical bias, for more than 2 years. In addition, biocompatibility studies with PC12 neurons demonstrate that this material is noncytotoxic and does not influence cell proliferation.

Initiated chemical vapor deposition of alternating copolymers of styrene and maleic anhydride

Initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) of alternating copolymer thin films has been achieved for the first time. Copolymerization is desirable for maleic anhydride (Ma) since this monomer does not homopolymerize to an appreciable extent. At conditions where the observed deposition rates for styrene (S) and Ma homopolymers were only 0 and 5.5 nm/min, respectively, combining the two monomers resulted in a much higher deposition rate of 75.4 nm/min. iCVD processes utilize low energy (<30 W) to generate peroxy radicals from initiator molecules while avoiding degradation of functional groups in the monomers. Indeed, full retention of the anhydride functionality from the Ma monomer and avoidance of undesirable side reactions was observed in iCVD of poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride) (PSMa) copolymer films. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) conclusively demonstrate that all of the copolymer films contain 50% styrene and 50% Ma (within experimental error), irrespective of gas feed ratios employed during the deposition. The 13C NMR signal in the 136-140 ppm region from the quaternary carbon in styrene and additional distortionless enhancement polarization transfer experiments confirmed that the copolymers are strictly alternating. Varying the gas feed ratio of Ma to styrene provided control over deposition rates and number-average molecular weights. Number-average molecular weights varied from 1380 to 4680 g/mol, and deposition rates varied from 6.3 to 75.4 nm/min.

Initiated chemical vapor deposition of trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane for biomaterial coatings

Organosilicon polymers show great utility as both biocompatible and electrically insulating materials. In this work, thin films of a novel organosilicon polymer are synthesized by initiated chemical vapor deposition utilizing trivinyltrimethylcyclotrisiloxane as a monomer and tert-butyl peroxide as a free-radical-generating initiator. Use of an initiator allows for the formation of polymer films at filament temperatures as low as 250 degrees C, significantly lower than those required to thermally polymerize the monomer species. The mild reaction conditions allow for the retention of all siloxane ring moieties within the resulting polymer. Films deposited at filament temperatures of 600 degrees C or higher exhibit damage to this moiety. The all-dry deposition process generates a highly cross-linked matrix material in which over 95% of the vinyl moieties present on the monomer units have been reacted out to form linear polymerized hydrocarbon chains. While each hydrocarbon backbone chain averages 8.9 monomer units in length, as evaluated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis, each monomer unit is involved in three independent chains, resulting in polymer films of such high molecular weight that they are completely insoluble. Kinetic analysis of the deposition process indicates that the film formation rate is limited by the adsorption of reactive species to the deposition substrate, with an apparent activation energy of -23.2 kJ/mol with respect to the substrate temperature. These results are consistent with a surface growth mechanism, ideal for the coating of nonuniform or high aspect ratio substrates.

Enhanced attachment and growth of human endothelial cells derived from umbilical veins on ammonia plasma modified surfaces of PTFE and ePTFE synthetic vascular graft biomaterials

Ammonia plasma generated by electrical discharge at low pressure was employed for the surface modification of PTFE and ePTFE. A new chemistry at the plasma treated surfaces is reported. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies showed the incorporation of C-N, C-O, C = O etc functional groups on the plasma treated surfaces. Human endothelial cells derived from umbilical veins (HUEC) were used to seed the plasma treated PTFE and ePTFE surfaces to assess the attachment and growth. Enhanced attachment and growth of HUEC was observed on the plasma treated surfaces. In addition, the performance of these surfaces in this respect was found to be considerably superior to human collagen or human fibronectin or collagen-fibronectin coated PTFE. HUEC attachment and growth on these plasma treated surfaces was further enhanced by immobilizing collagen or fibronectin or collagen-fibronectin. Ammonia plasma treated and untreated ePTFE vascular graft samples were seeded with 3.6 X 10(4) cells/sample. At 24 hrs after seeding, HUEC cell attachment was studied. Although, HUEC attachment on collagen or fibronectin coated ePTFE was improved, but there was no significant difference between the number of cells attached to these surfaces when compared with those adhered to plasma treated ePTFE without collagen or fibronectin coating. Collagen or fibronectin coated plasma treated surfaces showed better performance over their respective controls.

Ex vivo and in vitro platelet adhesion on RFGD deposited polymers

Clinical applications of small-diameter synthetic vascular grafts are hindered by their highly thrombogenic surfaces. To develop vascular grafts that resist thrombotic occlusion, a radio frequency glow discharge (RFGD) process was employed to modify the surface of existing graft materials. Ultrathin coatings of RFGD polymers of ethylene (E), tetrafluoroethylene (TFE), and hexamethyldisiloxane (HMDS) were deposited on the lumen of Dacron grafts. Surfaces were characterized by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The effect of glow discharge treatments on platelet-graft interactions was evaluated in an ex vivo baboon shunt model. Following placement of an untreated or RFGD-treated graft in the shunt, deposition of 111Indium-labeled platelets was monitored for 60 min by gamma camera imaging. Untreated Dacron rapidly accumulated large numbers of platelets, reaching a plateau in 60 min. HMDS- and TFE-treated Dacron had significantly lower levels of platelet deposition compared to the untreated control. In contrast, the ethylene treatment of Dacron augmented platelet deposition, making it the most platelet-adherent surface studied. In vitro studies were also performed using untreated and RFGD-treated poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET) coverslips. ESCA verified that the surface composition of the untreated and RFGD-treated coverslips were virtually identical to their untreated and treated Dacron graft counterparts. Samples were incubated in washed baboon platelet suspensions for 2 h at 37 degrees C. Platelet adhesion on the untreated PET was relatively high, and many of the platelets had a completely spread morphology. The HMDS and TFE treatment of PET reduced the number of adherent platelets and prevented platelet spreading on the surface. Platelet adhesion and spreading on the ethylene-treated surface was the highest among the four studied. There is a remarkable linear correlation of the ex vivo and in vitro platelet adhesion data.

A hydrophilic plasma polymerized film composite with potential application as an interface for biomaterials

A hydrophilic polymer composite film (approx. 420 nm thick), with potential application as an interface for biomaterials has been prepared on nonorganic substrates, which include glass, silicon, and aluminum foil, using a glow discharge plasma polymerization technique. A thin film (110 nm thick) polymerized from hexane provided an adherent protective coating for the substrate material, and covalent bonding sites for the outer layer polymerized from N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone. This outer layer provided the hydrophilic surface or interface. The two layers were copolymerized for a short period during transition between monomers to provide an intimate covalently bonded diffuse interphase. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility studies indicate that the hydrophilic film is non-cytotoxic, and does not increase the inflammatory response when compared with negative controls.

Inhibition of platelet adhesion to glow discharge modified surfaces

Plasma glow technique has created much interest in the field of surface modification of polymers due to its versatility of generating active polar groups on the surface without affecting the bulk properties. Here an attempt is made to inter-relate the surface properties and platelet adhesion on various polymeric substrates due to plasma treatments. Initially, a critical review of the process and development of thrombosis upon contact of an artificial surface with blood, has been provided, which has been extended with the need for surface modifications to improve their blood compatibility and the versatility of plasma treatments for such modifications have been emphasized. Phospholipids like phosphoryl choline, phosphatidyl choline and phosphoryl ethanolamine were attached to Angioflex surface by plasma glow. The role of such modified substrates to interact with platelets were investigated using Tyrode washed calf platelets. It seems, glow discharge modified phosphoryl choline bilayers dramatically inhibited the platelet-surface binding, which may be due to their biochemical resemblance with thromboresistant surfaces of human blood cells. Further, the behaviour of all phospholipids towards bloodpolymer interaction is not similar and may change depending on the nature of their functional groups, net charge of the phospholipid adsorbed surface and their interaction with platelets and its activation. It is possible to chemically immobilize lipid bilayers on standard polymers, using plasma glow, to improve their biological performance; by suitably selecting the phospholipid combinations.

Characterization of plasma polymerized silicone coatings useful as biomaterials

Plasma polymerization techniques were used to deposit a layer of filler-free silicone rubber on a variety of substrate materials. The thickness of the deposited film was 0.5-0.8 micron. As it is the surface of the biomaterial that comes in direct contact with the body fluids, the surface of the biomaterial is of paramount importance. In this study, the plasma polymerized biomaterials were characterized. Thus, the scanning electron microscope (SEM) showed the surfaces to be smooth. To study the surface layer of the deposited polymer, Fourier-transform infrared spectrometry in the attenuated total reflection (ATR) mode was used. The deposited material was indeed silicone polymer with adsorption bands at 1262, 1020, and 802 cm-1 for the Si-CH3 bending, Si-0-Si stretching, and Si-CH3 bending, respectively. To find the bonding nature of the polymer, electron spectrometry for chemical analysis (ESCA) was used. The silicone polymer was shown to be highly cross-linked. To find the molecular weight between cross-links, swelling studies were done. Thus the results of the study show that the plasma polymerization could produce a filler-free silicone layer on a variety of substrate materials.

Albuminated polymer surfaces for biomedical application

Amino groups were added on to the surfaces of Celgard-2400 membranes by exposing them to an ammonia plasma. The presence of amino groups on the surfaces was detected by an attenuated total reflection Fourier Transform infrared spectrometer and by the Auger electron spectrometer. Through these amino groups, albumin was attached to the membranes. In some experiments, the attached albumin was further stabilized by cross-linking with glutaraldehyde. The effect of washing the albuminated membranes with saline and with plasma was investigated. It was observed that after the initial wash-out of albumin, the concentration of attached albumin tends to level off. The amount of albumin retained on the membranes varied between 275 to 357 micrograms/cm2.