Surface properties and biocompatibility of A-B-A type block copolymer membranes consisting of poly(γ-benzyl- l-glutamate) as the A component and polyisoprene as the B component

Abstract

The surface characteristics of A-B-A type triblock copolymer (GIG) membranes consisting of α-helical poly(γ-benzyl- l-glutamate) (PBLG) as the A component and polyisoprene (PI) as the B component were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurements. The XPS measurements showed the copolymer composition of the outermost surface to be quite different from the bulk composition. Results of contact angle measurements indicated the existence of an interfacial region between the α-helical A component and the B component at the surfaces of the block copolymer membranes. Finally, the results of in vivo tests on tissue compatibility indicate that the GIG block copolymer membranes have good biocompatibility.