Polysulfone hemodialysis membrane incorporated with Fe2O3 for enhanced removal of middle molecular weight uremic toxin

Removing middle molecular weight uremic toxin remains as one of the most challenging tasks in hemodialysis. Hence, in this study a high performance polysulfone (PSf) hemodialysis membrane was developed by incorporating iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoparticles. The PSf/Fe2O3 hemodialysis membrane and pristine PSf membrane were prepared via dry-wet spinning process. The membranes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle, average pore size, and porosity measurements. The biocompatibility profiles of the membranes were also evaluated in terms of protein adsorption and blood coagulation time. Next, the performance of the membranes was determined by measuring pure water permeability (PWP), bovine serum albumin rejection, and removal of various solutes such as urea and lysozyme. The incorporation of Fe2O3 resulted in significant increment of the PWP from 40.74 L/m2/h/bar to 58.6 L/m2/h/bar, mainly due to the improved water transport properties of the membrane. Moreover, the percent removal of urea and lysozyme was reported to be 75.1% and 35.6%, respectively. PSf/Fe2O3 hemodialysis membrane is proven to have a bright prospect for enhanced blood purification process.