PREPARATION AND PERMEABILITY OF A BLOCK-COPOLYMER DIALYSIS MEMBRANE BY POLY(GAMMA-METHYL-L-GLUTAMATE) AND POLY(ETHYLENE GLYCOL)

The block copolymer (PMLG-b-PEG) of poly(gamma-methyl-L-glutamate) (PM LG) and isocyanate-terminated poly( ethylene glycol) was synthesized. Membranes were prepared by casting 2% 1,2-dichloroethane solutions of the polymer onto a glass plate and by evaporating the solvent at room temperature. The structure and microdomain morphologies of the membran es were observed with IR spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy , respectively. Measurement of the contact angles of deionized water o n polymer membrane surfaces was made. The mechanical properties of the membranes were also determined. The permeability of the PMLG-b-PEG an d PMLG membranes toward urea and creatinine was studied in a dialyzer. In all cases, the block membranes showed improved permeability toward those solutes in comparison with the PMLG membranes. The permeation c oefficients of urea, through the PMLG-b-PEG300 and PMLG-b-PEG1000 memb ranes, were about 2.3 and 3.2 times larger than that of PMLG membranes , and for creatinine through PMLG-b-PEG300 and PMLG-b-PEG1000 membrane s, were about 1.0 and 2.0 times larger than that of PMLG membranes. (C ) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.