The thermally induced hydration transition of surface-grafted poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) (PNIPAAm) brushes was probed by surface plasmon resonance spectroscopy (SPR) and contact angle measurements. Data are presented for a PNIPAAm brush film with a dry thickness of ∼50 nm that was synthesized by atom radical transfer polymerization on the surface of a self-assembled monolayer on gold. SPR measurements were taken as a function of temperature in two modes:  the quasi-static mode, in which the sample was equilibrated at each temperature for ∼15 min prior to measurement, and the real-time mode, in which SPR reflectivity data were collected as the sample was heated and cooled at ∼4.5 °C/min. Both types of measurement indicate that the hydration transition for the PNIPAAm brush occurs over a broad range of temperatures (∼10-40 °C). This result is in accordance with theoretical predictions that have suggested that polymer brush structures on planar surfaces do not exhibit true critical solubility transitions. Contact angle measurements revealed a discontinuity in the surface wettability at a temperature (∼32 °C) that corresponds to the dilute aqueous critical solution temperature. Taken together, these results suggest that the polymer segments in the outermost region of the brush remain highly solvated until the dilute solution lower critical solution temperature (∼32°), while densely packed, less solvated segments within the brush layer undergo dehydration and collapse over a broad range of temperatures.

In this review we examine various methods for the immobilization of aptamers onto different substrates that can be utilized in a diverse array of analytical formats. In most cases, covalent linking to surfaces is preferred over physisorption, which is reflected in the bulk of the reports covered within this review. Conjugation of aptamers with appropriate linkers directly to gold films or particles is discussed first, followed by methods for conjugating aptamers to functionally modified surfaces. In many aptamer-based applications, silicates and silicon oxide surfaces provide an advantage over metallic substrates, and generally require surface modification prior to covalent attachment of the aptamers. Chemical protocols for covalent attachment of aptamers to functionalized surfaces are summarized in the review, showing common pathways employed for aptamer immobilization on different surfaces. Biocoatings, such as avidin or one of its derivatives, have been shown to be highly successful for immobilizing biotin-tethered aptamers on various surfaces (e.g., gold, silicates, polymers). There are also a few examples reported of aptamer immobilization on other novel substrates, such as quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, and carbohydrates. This review covers the literature on aptamer immobilization up to March 2007, including comparison of different linkers of varying size and chemical structure, 3' versus 5' attachment, and regeneration methods of aptamers on surfaces.

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Prostate tumor cells over-express a prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) that can be used as a marker to select these cells from highly heterogeneous clinical samples, even when found in low abundance. Antibodies and aptamers have been developed that specifically bind to PSMA. In this study, anti-PSMA aptamers were immobilized onto the surface of a capture bed poised within a poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, microchip, which was fabricated into a high throughput micro-sampling unit (HTMSU) used for the selective isolation of rare circulating prostate tumor cells resident in a peripheral blood matrix. The HTMSU capture bed consisted of 51 ultra-high aspect ratio parallel curvilinear channels with a width similar to the prostate cancer cell dimensions. The surface density of the PSMA-specific aptamers on a UV-modified PMMA microfluidic capture bed surface was determined to be 8.4 × 10 12 molecules/cm 2 . Using a linear velocity for optimal cell capture in the aptamer-tethered HTMSU (2.5 mm/s), a recovery of 90% of LNCaP cells (prostate cancer cell line; used as a model in this example) was found. Due to the low abundance of these cells, the input volume required was 1 mL and this could be processed in approximately 29 min using an optimized linear flow rate of 2.5 mm/s. Captured cells were subsequently released intact from the affinity surface using 0.25% (w/v) trypsin followed by counting individual cells using a contact conductivity sensor integrated into the HTMSU that provided high detection and sampling efficiency (~100%) and did not require staining of the cells for enumeration.