Functionalisation of polysulfone (PSU) with beta-cyclodextrin (beta.CD) is a potential vehicle for the design of drug delivery devices via complexation. In this approach, PSU film was first pre-activated by air plasma to facilitate a post-grafting reaction with methacrylic acid (MAA) and then amination by diamino-dipropylamine (DADPA). Finally, beta.CD was anchored on to PSU-PMAA-DADPA surfaces via covalent bonding with amino groups. Creation of functional groups was confirmed by ATR-FTIR and functionalisation of PSU-PMAA-DADPA film with beta.CD was verified by UV absorbance following immersion in phenolphthalein (PHP), which formed inclusion complexes with the attached beta.CD. A reduction in absorbance of the PHP solution was observed, together with an increase in PHP exhaustion on to the PSU-PMAA-DADPA films as a result of functionalisation with beta.CD. Increasing the amount of beta.CD attached to the PSU-PMAA-DADPA films progressively increased PHP exhaustion until saturation was achieved.
