Synthesis and properties of PDMS/montmorillonite-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-heparin films

• The PDMS/MMT-CTAB-HEP films were prepared by solution intercalation technique.
• The mechanical properties of PDMS/2 wt% MMT-CTAB-HEP films were increased.
• The PDMS/2 wt% MMT-CTAB-HEP film showed excellent hemocompatibility.

In this study, poly(dimethylsiloxane)(PDMS)/montmorillonite-cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-heparin (PDMS/MMT-CTAB-HEP) films were prepared by solution intercalation technique. The cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-heparin (CTAB-HEP) was intercalated into montmorillonite (MMT) layers forming MMT-CTAB-HEP (modified MMT). The structure and properties of the film were characterized by XRD, TG and SEM.The modified MMT was homogeneously dispersed within the PDMS matrix. The effect of modified MMT on mechanical properties of the film was also investigated. As the modified MMT content was lower than 2 wt%, the films showed excellent mechanical properties. The blood compatibility of PDMS/MMT-CTAB-HEP films was further evaluated by hemolysis test and platelet adhesion. Both hemolysis and platelet adhesions tests showed that PDMS/MMT-CTAB-HEP film had better blood compatibility than pure PDMS.