Photolithographically Patterned Cell‐Repellent PEG‐b‐PTHPMA Diblock Copolymer for Guided Cell Adhesion and Growth

Abstract

Surfaces for guided cell adhesion and growth are indispensable in several diagnostic and therapeutic applications. Towards this direction, four diblock copolymers comprising polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly(2-tetrahydropyranyl methacrylate) (PTHPMA) are synthesized employing PEG macroinitiators of different chain lengths. The copolymer with a 5000 Da PEG block and a PEG-PTHPMA comonomers weight ratio of 43-57 provides a film with the highest stability in the culture medium and the strongest cell repellent properties. This copolymer is used to develop a positive photolithographic material and create stripe patterns onto silicon substrates. The highest selectivity regarding smooth muscle cell adhesion and growth and the highest fidelity of adhered cells for up to 3 days in culture is achieved for stripe patterns with widths between 25 and 27.5 μm. Smooth muscle cells cultured on such patterned substrates exhibit a decrease in their proliferation rate and nucleus area and an increase in their major axis length, compared to the cells cultured onto non-patterned substrates. These alterations are indicative of the adoption of a contractile rather than a synthetic phenotype of the smooth muscle cells grown onto the patterned substrates and demonstrate the potential of the novel photolithographic material and patterning method for guided cell adhesion and growth.

Post-Polymerization Modification of Fluoropolymers via UV Irradiation in the Presence of a Photoacid Generator

“…Physicochemical methods are related to alterations in the chemical composition of the surfaces employing techniques such as active-gas or vapor treatment for deposition of a thin film onto the surface [ 10 , 13 ] or alteration of surface texture [ 14 , 15 , 16 ], exposure to radiation (ultraviolet [ 13 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ] or extreme ultraviolet [ 7 ]), treatment of the surface with solvents [ 21 , 22 , 23 ], bulk phase desorption or combination of those treatments [ 10 , 13 , 18 , 24 ]. Mechanical methods are related to the alternation of the surface texture through mechanical roughening/polishing (e.g., sandblasting) [ 25 ] and micromanipulation (e.g., using AFM, STM probes).…”