title: Stability and nonfouling properties of poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) brushes under cell culture conditions.
abstract: This paper investigates the stability and nonfouling properties of poly(poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate) (PPEGMA) brushes prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization from SiO(x) substrates modified with a trimethoxysilane-based ATRP initiator. At high chain densities, PPEGMA brushes were found to detach rapidly from glass or silicon substrates. Detachment of the PPEGMA brushes could be monitored with contact angle measurements, which indicated a decrease in the receding water contact angle upon detachment. Detachment of the PPEGMA brushes also resulted in an increase in nonspecific protein adsorption. The stability, and as a consequence the long-term nonfouling properties, of the PPEGMA brushes could be improved by tailoring the brush density and, to a lesser extent, the molecular weight of the polymer chains. By appropriate decrease of the grafting density, the stability of the brushes in cell culture medium could be improved from less than 1 to more than 7 days, without compromising the nonfouling properties.
authors.affiliation: Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Institut des Matériaux, Laboratoire des Polymères, Bâtiment MXD, Station 12, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tugulu
authors.forename: Harm-Anton
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Klok
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008689:Methacrylates / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; D012825:Silicon / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003470:Culture Media; D008689:Methacrylates; D011109:Polymethacrylic Acids; C528061:poly(poly(ethylene glycol)methacrylate); D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D012825:Silicon