In situ poly(ethylene imine) coating of hollow fiber membranes used for microdialysis sampling

Abstract

A method for the in situ modification of hollow fiber membranes used as sampling units for microdialysis probes is presented. The method consists of adsorption-coating, high molecular-weight poly(ethylene imine), PEI, onto membranes, already fitted on microdialysis probes. Modification of membranes was designed to specifically explore the so-called Andrade effects and thus enhance the interaction of membranes with enzyme. The performances of polysulfone, polyethersulfone, and polyamide membranes modified with PEI-enzyme complex were evaluated based on the membrane extraction fraction for maltose and maltotriose and membrane morphology as examined by scanning electron microscopy. Of the membranes tested, the PEI-enzyme complex least affected the performance of the polysulfone membranes. Conversion of maltoheptaose to maltotriose and maltose was increased reproducibly (within a 5 % relative standard deviation) by 50 % for modified membranes compared to the native hollow fiber membranes. The results demonstrate the potential to effectively modify membranes already fitted on a microdialysis probe. Such a procedure can be modified and employed to either promote or reduce membrane–protein interaction for hollow fibers used as microdialysis sampling units or other similar membrane applications.