| AVS 56th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces | Thursday Sessions |
| Session BI-ThP |
| Session: | Biomaterial Interfaces Poster Session II (Arrays, Sensing, Micro/Nanofabrication, SPM) |
| Presenter: | R. Ferris, Duke University |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Though surface coatings of Poly-Ethylene Glycol (PEG) has been recognised for decades as a particularly effective non-fouling surface, recent advances in polymer brush fabricated thin film Poly-Oligio(Ethylene Glycol) Methyl Methacrylate (POEGMA) has presented a myriad of novel applications. The capability to easily tune brush height and still maintain a high surface grafting density has been shown to prepare surfaces which essentially eliminate the non-specific adsorption of both proteins and cells. Here we present the effects of selectively modifying the surface of polymer brush surfaces, such as POEGMA, via Electric Field Nanolithography (EFN).
EFN, utilizing a spatially localized potential bias to produce chemical modifications sites on a wide range of surfaces, has proven capable of serially modifying the chemical and conformational structure of a variety of polymer-brush film surfaces such as POEGMA, PolyAcrylic Acid, and PolyMethyl Methacrylate surfaces. Such work, however, has presented an interesting and novel bias voltage dependence previously unreported in literature.
Traditionally, EFN has been utilized to produce oxide-rich regions available for further reaction sites processing. Integration of a responsive, non-fouling, polymer brush surface, however, severely alters the voltage modification dependence from the traditional negative tip bias requirement to the now positive tip bias dependence.
Each polymer thin film studied presents a different surface energy landscape, hydrodynamic interaction characteristic, and intramolecular interaction. Presented results, in addition to the contrasted effects seen on spun-coated polymer thin films, will further illuminate the mechanism and effects of EFN integration with polymer brush thin films. In addition to topographical and chemical effects of these thin films, an elevated, film-thickness dependent, threshold bias voltage is reported. Films have been characterized using Xray Photonelectron Spectroscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, and Contact angle measurements.
In furthering the understanding of how EFN interacts with polymer thin films, it will become possible to produce selective deposition of biological arrays and assays for next generation sensing applications.