Patterned Immobilization of Thermoresponsive Polymer

Abstract

The thermoresponsive polymer poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) was immobilized in a specific pattern on a polystyrene matrix by photolithography. N-Isopropylacrylamide was copolymerized with acrylic acid. The copolymer was coupled with azidoaniline. The low critical solution temperature of the copolymer was lowered by incorporation of azidophenyl groups. The derivatized copolymer was then immobilized on a polystyrene matrix. The surface wettability of the immobilized polystyrene matrix changed with temperature, whereas that of untreated polystyrene matrix was insensitive to temperature. The measurement of contact angle showed that the surface of the immobilized matrix was hydrophobic at 37 °C but hydrophilic at 10 °C. Micropatterned immobilization of the copolymer on the polystyrene matrix surface was carried out using a photomask. The surface micropattern was clearly observed by phase-contrast microscopy at 37 °C. At low temperatures, hydration of graft chains erased the micropattern. The polystyrene matrix with micropatterned surface was applied to tissue engineering. Mouse fibroblast STO cells grown on the surface area, on which thermosensitive polymers were immobilized, were selectively detached by lowering the temperature.

Hydrogels in Biology and Medicine: From Molecular Principles to Bionanotechnology

“…[149] Temperature-responsive polymers such as PNIPAAm are also useful for patterning cells. [151][152][153][154] Yamato et al have…”

Thermoresponsive Polymers for Biomedical Applications

“…Ito et al prepare plates of polystyrene grafted with PNIPAAm copolymers using a mask to create a micropatterned surface [135,136]. Cell growth and selected cell detachment was shown to be achievable with this approach [135,136].…”

“…Cell growth and selected cell detachment was shown to be achievable with this approach [135,136]. Tsuda et al also utilized patterning for cell culture by combing a patterned surface of PNIPAAm and PNIPAAm-graft-PBuMA with two different LCSTs.…”

Biology on a Chip: Microfabrication for Studying the Behavior of Cultured Cells

“…Mouse fibroblasts grown on the copolymer-grafted surface area were selectively detached by lowering the temperature in serum-free medium, but only partially detached in serum-containing medium. 60,61 Growth factors such as insulin could also be immobilized to the thermoresponsive polymer and showed stimulation of cell growth. 62,63 Mrksich et al 47 developed an electrochemical switch to reverse the cell adhesiveness of a substrate (or select regions of a substrate).…”