Improvement of Hydrophilicity and Blood Compatibility on Polyethersulfone Membrane by Blending Sulfonated Polyethersulfone

Polyethersulfone (PES) is widely used as biomaterials due to its thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical inertness. Nevertheless, their blood compatibility is still not adequate for hemodialysis and blood purification. In this study, the sulfonated polyethersulfone (SPES) was synthesized through an electrophilic substitution reaction, and PES/SPES blending membranes were prepared. The characterization of the SPES was studied by FTIR. The water adsorption and water contact angle experiments show that the hydrophilicity of PES/SPES blend membrane was improved as for the sulfonate group existing in the SPES. Moreover, PES/SPES blend membrane could effectively reduce bovine serum albumin adsorption and prolong the blood coagulation time compared with the PES membrane, thereby improving blood compatibility.