Hemocompatible, antioxidative and antibacterial polypropylene prepared by attaching silver nanoparticles capped with TPGS

Infections associated with medical devices cause significant costs, morbidity, and mortality. Medical devices with hemocompatibility, antioxidative stress, and antibacterial properties are difficult to fabricate. In this study, silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) were synthesized for the first time in the presence of carboxylic d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate (TPGS) as antibacterial agents. The Ag NPs were characterized by UV-visible spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and zeta potential measurements. The results showed that Ag NPs had a good dispersion stability and uniform size distribution. The introduction of TPGS dispersed the Ag NPs in solution and provided active protection against Ag NP-induced free radical damage. N-Isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) and N-(3-aminopropyl) methacrylamide hydrochloride (APMA) were then co-grafted onto polypropylene (PP) membranes by ultraviolet grafting, which can provide antifouling properties. The modified PP surface can be used as a platform to load the Ag NPs capped with TPGS. The loading efficiency of Ag NPs was mediated by electrostatic interactions between the positively charged APMA and the negatively charged Ag NPs. The loaded TPGS can slow the lipid peroxidation of erythrocytes and fill the lipid bilayer of erythrocytes to prevent antioxidative stress and hemolysis. The bacteria adhesion, bacterial activity, and biofilm formation proved that the modified PP surfaces loaded with Ag NPs had excellent antibacterial and bactericidal properties. Therefore, our approach can serve as a basis for developing medical devices with excellent hemocompatibility, as well as simultaneous antioxidative and antibacterial properties, thereby providing a potential prevention measure of medical-device-associated infections.