Facile chemical modification of polysulfone membrane with improved hydrophilicity and blood compatibility

Polysulfone (PSf) membrane has been widely used in biomedical fields . In this study, we report the modification of PSf membrane via surface chemical reactions to improve the hydrophilicity and blood compatibility, and the modification is based on chloromethylated PSf (PSf-Cl) membrane. Different functional groups, including hydroxyl groups (–OH), azide groups (–N 3 ), amine groups (–NH 2 ), carboxyl groups ( - COOH) and sulfo groups (–SO 3 H) were introduced onto the PSf membrane surfaces , and the modified membranes showed obviously improved hydrophilicity. Meanwhile, the blood compatibility was also investigated, and the –COOH and –SO 3 H grafted membranes exhibited improved anticoagulant property.