Mimicking a Stenocara beetle's back for microcondensation using plasmachemical patterned superhydrophobic-superhydrophilic surfaces.

A simple two-step plasmachemical methodology is outlined for the fabrication of microcondensor surfaces. This comprises the creation of a superhydrophobic background followed by pulsed plasma deposition of a hydrophilic polymer array. Microcondensation efficiency has been explored in terms of the chemical nature of the hydrophilic pixels and their dimensions. These results are compared to the hydrophilic-hydrophobic pattern present on the Stenocara beetle's back, which is used by the insect to collect water in the desert. Potential applications include fog harvesting, microfluidics, and biomolecule immobilization.

Rapid polymer brush growth by TEMPO-mediated controlled free-radical polymerization from swollen plasma deposited poly(maleic anhydride) initiator surfaces.

Pulsed plasma-chemical deposition of poly(maleic anhydride) is shown to be a substrate-independent method for functionalizing solid surfaces with initiator sites for nitroxide-mediated controlled free-radical graft polymerization. Swelling of the initiator film via aminolysis can lead to grafted polymer brushes that are 1 order of magnitude thicker than those obtained by existing methods on solid surfaces.

Substrate-independent approach for polymer brush growth by surface atom transfer radical polymerization.

A simple method for growing polymer brushes by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) off solid surfaces has been devised. This entails pulsed plasmachemical deposition of a halogen-containing initiator layer, followed by either organic or aqueous phase controlled surface polymerization. The wide-scale applicability of this approach is exemplified by functionalizing flat substrates, microbeads, and nonwoven textiles.

Poly(N-acryloylsarcosine methyl ester) protein-resistant surfaces.

A new class of protein-resistant film based on N-substituted glycine derivatives is described. Pulsed plasma deposited poly(N-acryloylsarcosine methyl ester) coatings are shown to be resistant toward the adsorption of fibrinogen and lysozyme. Deposition and UV irradiation of the polymer through a masked grid are found to be effective ways for generating negative and positive image protein arrays, respectively, onto a range of different substrate materials.

Functionalization of solid surfaces with thermoresponsive protein-resistant films.

Pulsed plasma polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide leads to the deposition of thermoresponsive films. The reversible (switching) behavior of these poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) surfaces has been exemplified by screening the adsorption of fibrinogen and fluorescein isothiocyanate labeled bovine serum albumin proteins by surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and fluorescence microscopy at low and elevated temperatures.

Effects of Serum on the Kinetics of CHO Attachment to Ultraviolet-Ozone Modified Polystyrene Surfaces.

Attachment kinetics of Chinese hamster ovarian (CHO) cells were investigated on ultraviolet-ozone oxidized polystyrene (UVO-PS) dishes in the presence and absence of serum. The surface chemistry of UVO-PS has been extensively characterized. Although cells attached rapidly to the oxidized dishes with serum present it was found that serum actually inhibits the rate of attachment. Spreading of attached cells was favored by the presence of serum. It is suggested that the increased quantity of hydrophilic carboxyl groups on longer exposed UVO-PS leads to a change in the protein layer adsorbed from serum and also a higher affinity of the surface for extracellular proteins secreted by the attached cells. The UVO-PS surfaces present a new way of producing tissue culture grade polystyrene (TCPS) in a highly controllable method, which would ensure greater consistency in TCPS surfaces. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.