EFFECT OF SURFACE-PROPERTIES ON THE ANTITHROMBOGENICITY OF SILK FIBROIN S-CARBOXYMETHYL KERATEINE BLEND FILMS/

Polymeric blends of silk fibroin (SF) and S-carboxymethyl kerateine (S CMK) were prepared by the solvent casting method to study the effect o f surface properties on the antithrombogenicity. The films of SF/SCMK showed better antithrombogenic properties than SF or SCMK alone. Among them, the film containing 50 wt% SCMK showed the best antithrombogeni city. When the SF/SCMK films were treated with methanol, the antithrom bogenicity of the films was scarcely affected except the SF-rich ones. The enhanced antithrombogenic properties were explained in terms of p olarity of the surface. The blend films showed an enhancement of polar contribution to surface free energy (gamma(s)(p)) and polar stabiliza tion energy (I-SW). SF-rich films showed high gamma(s)(p) and I-SW val ues when treated with methanol. This change of surface properties was considered to be due to the fact that the conformational transition fr om random coil structure to B-structure of proteins may have affected the surface properties, especially the polar properties.