Enhancement of Fatty Acid-based Polyurethanes Cytocompatibility by Non-covalent Anchoring of Chondroitin Sulfate

For tissue engineering purpose biopolymer chondroitin sulfate (CS), one of the major components of cartilage and bone extracellular matrix, was immobilized onto the surface of amino‐functionalized polyurethane (PU) films derived from naturally occurring oleic and 10‐undecenoic acids. The amino‐functionalized PUs were prepared by aminolysis with 1,6‐hexamethylenediamine of synthesized PUs containing methyl ester groups. FTIR‐ATR, XPS, SEM, and water contact angle measurements were used to confirm the surface changes at each step of treatment, both in morphologies and chemical composition. Cytotoxicity and cell morphology analysis using osteoblast cell line MG63 showed that PU‐CS films are suitable materials for cell growth, spreading, and differentiation. Linear polyurethanes prepared from naturally occurring fatty acid‐derived diols are surface modified via aminolysis treatment as a previous step to ionically immobilize bioactive chondroitin sulfate (CS). CS immobilization significantly increases surface wettability, as well as enhances osteoblast cytocompatibility in comparison with base polyurethanes.