Abstract
Hemocompatibility is one of the major criteria for the successful cardiovascular applicability of novel biomaterials. In this context, monolayers of certain biomolecules can be used to improve surface biocompatibility. To this end, biocoatings incorporating a phospholipid (1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine, DOPC), an immunosuppressant (cyclosporine A, CsA), and an antioxidant material (lauryl gallate, LG) were fabricated by depositing Langmuir films onto gold or mica substrates using the Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique. These LB monolayers were thoroughly characterized by means of quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and contact angle (CA) measurements. The obtained results indicate that the properties of these LB films are modulated by the monolayer composition. The presence of LG in the three-component systems (DOPC-CsA-LG) increases the molecular packing and the surface coverage of the substrate, which affects the wettability of the biocoating. From the different compositions studied here, we conclude that DOPC-CsA-LG monolayers with a DOPC/CsA ratio of 1:1 and LG molar fractions of 0.50 and 0.75 exhibit improved surface biocompatible characteristics. These results open up new perspectives on our knowledge and better understanding of phenomena at the biomaterial/host interface.