Abstract
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is one of the most widely used polymers in medicine but has very poor biocompatibility when in contact with tissue or blood. To increase biocompatibility, controlled release of nitric oxide (NO) can be utilized to mitigate and reduce the inflammatory response. A synthetic route is described where PVC is aminated to a specified degree and then further modified by covalently linking S-nitroso-N-acetyl-d-penicillamine (SNAP) groups to the free primary amine sites to create a nitric oxide releasing polymer (SNAP-PVC). Controllable release of NO from SNAP-PVC is described using photoinitiation from light emitting diodes (LEDs). Ion-mediated NO release is also demonstrated as another pathway to provide a passive mechanism for NO delivery. The large range of NO fluxes obtained from the SNAP-PVC films indicate many potential uses in mediating unwanted inflammatory response in blood- and tissue-contacting devices and as a tool for delivering precise amounts of NO in vitro.