Long-term stability of plasma oxidized PDMS surfaces.

The hydrophilicity of untreated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces is problematic in applications where adhesion of proteins and cells is desirable. In this work, we investigated the effects of variables involved with plasma surface oxidation including time, power, monomer extraction, and storage conditions over 45 days. In order to maintain a hydrophilic surface for the longest time, the storage condition was the most influential factor above all other variables. Investigated changes in plasma treatment time, and power had less profound effects. Furthermore, only marginal differences in extracted and non-extracted PDMS were observed.