Hydrophilic ZIF-8 decorated GO nanosheets improve biocompatibility and separation performance of polyethersulfone hollow fiber membranes: A potential membrane material for bioartificial liver application

• Published in: Materials Science & Engineering C 2018-10, Vol.91, p.524-540
• Main Authors: Modi, Akshay, Verma, Surendra Kumar, Bellare, Jayesh
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Additives; Artificial organs; Biocompatibility; Biomedical materials; Cell proliferation; EGR-1 protein; Fourier transforms; Graphene; HepG2 cells functions; Hollow fiber membranes; Hydrophilic surfaces; Hydrophilicity; Hydrophobicity; Imidazole; Liver; Materials science; Membranes; Mercury; Molecular weight; Molecular weight cut off; Nanoparticles; Nanosheets; Polyethersulfone; Polyethersulfones; Pure water permeability; Secretion; Separation; Ultrafiltration; Urea; ZIF-8 decorated GO nanosheets
• ISSN: 0928-4931; 1873-0191
• DOI: 10.1016/j.msec.2018.05.051

The hydrophobic nature of zeolitic imidazole framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles restricts their use as additives in hollow fiber membranes (HFMs) for biomedical applications. In this study, hydrophilic ZIF-8 decorated graphene oxide nanosheets (ZGs) were synthesized and used as additives (0–1 wt%) in polyethersulfone (P) HFMs with the aim of improving the biocompatibility and separation performance so as to make the ZGP HFMs suitable for bioartificial liver (BAL) application. Elemental mapping and Fourier transform infrared studies confirmed the efficacious incorporation of ZG nanohybrids in the ZGP HFMs, which resulted in their improved hydrophilicity. The remarkably improved biocompatibility was experimentally demonstrated for the ZGP HFMs, which also were antioxidative and hemocompatible. There was a significantly high attachment and proliferation of HepG2 cells on these HFMs, and they showed remarkably high urea synthesis and albumin secretion. Further, the ZGP HFMs showed high ultrafiltration coefficient (392.2 ± 26.5 mL/h/m2/mm Hg), high flux recovery ratio (84.3%), low flux reduction (15.7%), and desirable molecular weight cutoff (125–135 kDa). Thus, these results experimentally demonstrated that the hydrophilic ZG nanohybrids improve the desirable properties of ZGP HFMs making them a potential biocompatible material for biomedical applications including BAL application. [Display omitted] •Hydrophilic ZIF-8 decorated GO nanosheets (ZGs) synthesized•Novel ZGs-doped polyethersulfone (ZGP) HFMs developed•Remarkably improved hemocompatibility and cytocompatibility achieved•Improved HepG2 cells functions and separation performance measured•ZGP HFMs are suitable for bioartificial liver application.