title: Micro- and nanoscale modification of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) hydrogels by AFM lithography and nanoparticle incorporation.
abstract: Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) hydrogels are widely used as biomaterials. Due to their unique combination of biocompatibility and good mechanical properties, they have potential as scaffolds for tissue engineering applications. To this purpose, topographic and chemical patterning at the nano- to the mesoscale is crucial in order to favor and to characterize cell adhesion and proliferation. Here we report the characterization of as-prepared and patterned PHEMA hydrogels, produced by conventional radical polymerization in water and dimethylformamide. We have obtained chemical and morphological micro- and nanoscale patterning by atomic force microscopy based lithography. We also demonstrate that it is possible to incorporate carbon nanoparticles in the hydrogel matrix by supersonic cluster beam deposition.
authors.affiliation: Centro Interdisciplinaire Materiali e Interfacce Nanostrutturati, Università di Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Podestà
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ranucci
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Macchi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bongiorno
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferruti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Milani
mesh_terms: D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000737:chemistry*; D002244:Carbon / Q000737:chemistry*; D020100:Hydrogels / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D008422:Materials Testing; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000379:methods; D018625:Microscopy, Atomic Force / Q000379:methods*; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010316:Particle Size; D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate / Q000032:analysis / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D020100:Hydrogels; D011102:Polyhydroxyethyl Methacrylate; D002244:Carbon