Research Seminar:

A systematic approach for evaluating both the chemical and physical properties of materials for medical devices is necessary to achieve optimal performance. Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) are highly-ordered, crystalline coordination polymers consisting of metal centers connected by organic linkers, useful for a variety of applications from gas storage to catalysis. To facilitate their incorporation into medical devices, MOFs can be developed into composite materials. Herein, the MOF H₃[(Cu₄Cl)₃(BTTri)₈] (H₃BTTri = 1,3,5-tris(1H-1,2,3-triazol-5-yl)benzene), or CuBTTri, was incorporated into a composite with a hydrophilic polyurethane. This MOF is of particular interest for use in biomedical applications because of its demonstrated stability under physiological conditions and ability to catalyze the release of nitric oxide (NO) from endogenous S-nitrosothiols. Due to its antiplatelet and antiproliferative properties in the vascular system, NO has been shown to reduce medical device-induced thrombosis when generated at the surface of blood-contacting devices. We take a systematic approach to quantify the effects MOF loading, MOF preparation, and polymer thickness on the catalytic properties of CuBTTri. With this data we can tune the components of the composites to fabricate better thromboresistant composite materials for blood-contacting medical devices such as extracorporeal membrane oxygenation devices and implantable glucose sensors.