Preparation of a heparin-like functionalized tannic acid-coated polyethersulfone ultrafiltration membrane for hemodialysis by a simple surface modification method

It is of practical significance to develop a heparin-free hemodialysis membrane that can be used for clinical applications in a simple way. In this work, a heparin-like coating loaded with SO3− and COOH was formed on a polyethersulfone (PES) ultrafiltration membrane by the hydrophobic interactions and hydrogen bonding of tannic acid (TA) with the PES membrane, the cross-linking of D-asparagine (DAS) with TA, and a Michael addition reaction of sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonic acid (SMP) with TA. The plasma recalcification time of the modified PES membrane was increased to 256 s, and the BSA rejection rate and urea clearance rate were 97.1% and 92.0%, respectively. The results demonstrated that a heparin-like tannic acid coating was successfully formed on the surface of the PES ultrafiltration membrane. The synergistic effect of the catechol and hydrophilic groups on the coating reduced platelet adhesion and activation, thus significantly improving the hemocompatibility modification of the PES membranes. Modified membranes with both high flux and excellent rejection (clearance) properties were also selected through the control of the coating. This study provides a novel and facile strategy for the direct preparation of a membrane material with excellent anti-hemagglutination properties.