Chitosan containing PU/Poly(NIPAAm) thermosensitive membrane for wound dressing

Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) based polyurethane (PU) solution was prepared and then the PU solution was modified with N-isopropyl acrylamide by UV radiation without degassing to get thermo-sensitive membrane (PUNIPAAm). Then chitosan was impregnated onto the PUNIPAAm surface and treated by freeze-drying to get chitosan containing PUNIPAAm (PUNIPAAm-chi). Wettability on the various membranes was determined. The measurement of water vapor transmission rate on membranes and the antibacterial assessment were also evaluated. In order to evaluate the biocompatibility of these membranes, a cytotoxicity test and cell adhesion and proliferation assay were conducted in cell culture. The results showed that these thermo-sensitive PUNIPAAm membranes exhibited very low cytotoxicity and could support cell adhesion and growth. As having the antibacterial ability and the values of WVTR, permeance and permeability of the various PUNIPAAm-chi membranes are comparable to the commercial products, the PUNIPAAm-chi may be considered for wound dressing.