Glucose-sensitive poly(ether sulfone) composite membranes blended with phenylboronic acid-based amphiphilic block copolymer for self-regulated insulin release

Abstract

Glucose-sensitive membranes have promising applications in insulin release. Phenylboronic acid (PBA) is an important glucose reporter. Most of PBA-based glucose-sensitive materials are expansion-type, which cannot act as chemical valves in porous membranes for self-regulated insulin release. In this study, a glucose-sensitive membrane with PBA-based contraction-type amphiphilic block copolymer polystyrene-b-poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-2-(acrylamido) phenylboronic acid) (PSNB) as chemical valves was constructed through non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) method. Due to surface segregation, hydrophobic polystyrene (PS) component can anchor in the membrane matrix to improve the stability of the membrane, and glucose-sensitive hydrophilic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide-co-2-(acrylamido) phenylboronic acid) (PNB) component can expose on the surfaces of the membrane and the channels to provide glucose-sensitivity of the membrane. With increasing the polymer content or chain length of the hydrophilic component, the glucose sensitivity of the membrane was improved. The blend membrane showed glucose-sensitive insulin release behavior in simulated body fluids (SBF) and fetal bovine serum (FBS). The membrane also exhibited good antifouling properties and biocompatibility.