title: Hydrogen peroxide treatment of eggshell membrane to control porosity.
abstract: The eggshell membrane (ESM) is a naturally occurring biological polymer, which can be extracted from eggshells, and has been used for adsorption of dyes or heavy metals, as a semipermeable membrane to control particle transport, and as a natural biocompatible material for tissue replacement. In this study, we used hydrogen peroxide to control the pore size and fibre crossing density of the ESM. Structural and chemical properties were investigated using AFM, optical microscopy, contact angle, and FTIR. We show that the structure and permeability of the ESM can be controlled by timed exposure to H2O2 and we demonstrate this effect using red blood cells. This process provides a simple method for preparing biocompatible membranes, with controlled selectivity for biofiltration applications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry and Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, National Sun Yat-sen University, Kaohsiung City 80424, Taiwan. shsieh@facmail.nsysu.edu.tw
authors.forename: Shuchen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Hsuan-Hung
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Chiung-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Deng-Chyang
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chao-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kuo
authors.forename: Feng-Huei
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000482:Allantois; D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002645:Chickens; D049033:Chorioallantoic Membrane / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D004528:Egg Shell / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010316:Particle Size; D016062:Porosity
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide
keywords: AFM; Biofilter; Contact angle; Membrane; Surface modification