Blood film-type oxygenator

Oxygen transport has received considerable attention. "Picket fence" cobalt porphyrin complexes are selectively blocked at the hindered face so that imidazole bases may only coordinate from the open side. As seen in Scheme 11, the imidazole-coordinated picket fence complex has a vacant coordination site at the top. The small linear oxygen molecule can traverse the "fence" to coordinate reversibly with cobalt from the top side. By dispersing such complexes in films one can build membranes which facilitate oxygen transport. This type of chemistry is one approach to making artificial blood. 

Membranes can be thought of as special types of films that provide specific end use characteristics. Membrane technology has replaced some conventional techniques for separation, concentration or purification [78]. Applications include desalination, dialysis, blood oxygenators, controlled release drug delivery systems and gas separation. Processing of polymer films and membranes is well known to affect the morphology, which in turn affects the physical and mechanical properties. As is true for all films, membrane separation properties are based on both the chemical composition and the structure resulting from the process. Membranes are produced in two major forms, as flat films and as porous hollow fibers, both of which will be discussed in this section. 

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