Microwave plasma activation of a polyvinylidene fluoride surface for protein immobilization

Abstract

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) was modified by CO 2 , N 2 or N 2 /H 2 plasmas, which permitted the attachment of short carboxyl or amino groups. A variation of the discharge parameters was performed, for their optimization, as well as for minimizing degradation in favour of acidic, amphiphilic or basic functionalization, respectively. The optimum parameters of discharge for CO 2 , N 2 or N 2 /H 2 plasmas were P = 50 W, gas flow rate Q = 16 × 10 −8 m 3 s −1 , exposure time t = 30-60 s, d = 0.1 m, pressure 15 Pa. The new surfaces were characterized by wettability measurements, attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) methods. In a second step, the proteins (triglycine (TG) and protein A) were adsorbed or chemically grafted onto the carboxyl or amino functionalized surface, after EDC/NHS (1-ethyl-3-(-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide/N-hydroxysuccinimide) activation of proteins. ATR-FTIR, XPS and AFM investigations confirmed the presence of protein on the surface. The XPS C1s core levels at 286.3 eV (C-N), 288 eV (amide bond) and 298 eV (carboxylic acid), together with variation of the O1s and N1s signals, illustrated the immobilization of proteins. It was established that TG was better attached on surfaces activated with N 2 /H 2 plasma, while protein A was more tightly anchored on CO 2 , N 2 plasma-activated surfaces. The former procedure allowed higher surface densities, while the latter permitted a better chemical control. The results proved that plasma-treated PVDF is a good substrate for protein coating, which can be further used for microorganisms' detection, as evidenced by the immunoassay test.

Plasma-activated fibrinogen coatings onto poly(vinylidene fluoride) surface for improving biocompatibility with tissues

“…The near infrared–chemical imaging (NIR-CI) method of analysis provides information about the spatial distribution of the components with the possibility to determine the degree of the chemical and/or physical heterogeneity. 45,52,53 The evaluation of the FB distribution onto PVDF surface was made by NIR-CI using chemometric analysis method. The NIR-CI data were collected on a SisuCHEMA (Finland) device which employs SPECIM’s hyperspectral imaging technology on full NIR (1000–2500 nm) range.…”

Permanently hydrophilic, piezoelectric PVDF nanofibrous scaffolds promoting unaided electromechanical stimulation on osteoblasts

“…14 Modification solely with plasma is another effective method for altering the surface properties of polymers that has been widely utilized in numerous studies and applications, but it has not yet been applied to PVDF porous scaffolds for their use in tissue engineering. [15][16][17][18][19] Plasma is considered as one of the best tools to modify polymeric surfaces homogeneously, and with no need for further specialized equipment or additional steps, along with the versatility of the effects that different plasmas have on polymeric surfaces in terms of chemistry and topography. Aiming at improving surface wettability of piezoelectric PVDF scaffolds and ultimately achieving enhanced lifetime, we herein effectively employed this surface modification strategy in our scaffolds.…”

Surface modification of chitosan/PEO nanofibers by air dielectric barrier discharge plasma for acetylcholinesterase immobilization

“…Vasile et al modified polyvinylidene (PVDF) fluoride surface by CO 2 , N 2 or N 2 /H 2 plasmas for protein (triglycine (TG) and protein A) immobilization. The results proved that plasma-treated PVDF is a good substrate for protein coating, which can be further used for microorganisms' detection, as evidenced by the immunoassay test [8].…”