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International audience; Wetting of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (NPs) in a polymer nanocomposite (PNC) film is driven by a difference in surface energy between components as well as bulk thermodynamics, namely, the value of the interaction parameter, χ. The interplay between these contributions is investigated in a PNC containing 25 wt % polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA)-grafted silica NPs (PMMA-NPs) in poly(styrene-ran-acrylonitrile) (SAN) upon annealing above the lower critical solution temperature (LCST, 160 °C). Atomic force microscopy (AFM) studies show that the areal density of particles increases rapidly and then approaches 80% of that expected for random close-packed hard spheres. A slightly greater areal density is observed at 190 °C compared to 170 °C. The PMMA-NPs are also shown to prevent dewetting of PNC films under conditions where the analogous polymer blend is unstable. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging shows that PMMANPs symmetrically wet both interfaces and form columns that span the free surface and substrate interface. Using grazingincidence Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (GI-RBS), the PMMA-NP surface excess (Z*) initially increases rapidly with time and then approaches a constant value at longer times. Consistent with the areal density, Z* is slightly greater at deeper quench depths, which is attributed to the more unfavorable interactions between the PMMA brush and SAN segments. The Z* values at early times are used to determine the PMMA-NP diffusion coefficients, which are significantly larger than theoretical predictions. These studies provide insights into the interplay between wetting and phase separation in PNCs and can be utilized in nanotechnology applications where surface-dependent properties, such as wettability, durability, and friction, are important.

The properties of a thin film are, in part, governed by the nucleation or seeding of the material on a given substrate. Control over the seeding process is highly desirable, resulting in the ability to “dial up” desired film properties for the end application. In this study, we investigate the seeding process for thin films of Cr (thickness < 5 nm) sputtered onto polymeric substrates. These substrates are fabricated having Young’s moduli spanning from the rubbery to the glassy state. Compliant substrates in the rubbery state display nanowrinkled structures during the early stages of film deposition (seeding). The combined chemical and morphological analysis of these films suggests implantation of Cr clusters within the polymeric substrate—this implantation process is strongly influenced by substrate’s mechanical properties. Understanding the seeding process, the resultant nanowrinkles, and the evolution to a continuous ultrathin film, will have an impact on the way these systems are engineered for practical applications. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Medical devices made of polycarbonaturethane (PCU) combine excellent mechanical properties and little biological degradation, but restricted hemocompatibility. Modifications of PCU might reduce platelet adhesion and promote stable endothelialization. PCU was modified using gas plasma treatment, binding of hydrogels, and coupling of cell-active molecules (modified heparin, anti-thrombin III (ATIII), argatroban, fibronectin, laminin-nonapeptide, peptides with integrin-binding arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD) motif). Biocompatibility was verified with static and dynamic cell culture techniques. Blinded analysis focused on improvement in endothelial cell (EC) adhesion/proliferation, anti-thrombogenicity, reproducible manufacturing process, and shear stress tolerance of ECs. EC adhesion and antithrombogenicity were achieved with 9/35 modifications. Additionally, 6/9 stimulated EC proliferation and 3/6 modification processes were highly reproducible for endothelialization. The latter modifications comprised immobilization of ATIII (A), polyethyleneglycole-diamine-hydrogel (E) and polyethylenimine-hydrogel connected with modified heparin (IH). Under sheer stress, only the IH modification improved EC adhesion within the graft. However, ECs did not arrange in flow direction and cell anchorage was restricted. Despite large variation in surface modification chemistry and improved EC adhesion under static culture conditions, additional introduction of shear stress foiled promising preliminary data. Therefore, biocompatibility testing required not only static tests but also usage of physiological conditions such as shear stress in the case of vascular grafts.

Insufficient glenoid fixation is one of the main reasons for failure in total shoulder arthroplasty. This is predominantly caused by the inert nature of the ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) used in the glenoid component of the implant, which makes it difficult to adhesively bind to bone cement or bone. Previous studies have shown that this adhesion can be ameliorated by changing the surface chemistry using plasma technology. An atmospheric pressure plasma jet is used to treat UHMWPE substrates and to modify their surface chemistry. The modifications are investigated using several surface analysis techniques. The adhesion with bone cement is assessed using pull-out tests while osteoblast adhesion and proliferation is also tested making use of several cell viability assays. Additionally, the treated samples are put in simulated body fluid and the resulting calcium phosphate (CaP) deposition is evaluated as a measure of the in vitro bioactivity of the samples. The results show that the plasma modifications result in incorporation of oxygen in the surface, which leads to a significant improved adhesion to bone cement, an enhanced osteoblast proliferation and a more pronounced CaP deposition. The plasma-treated surfaces are therefore promising to act as a shoulder implant.

The surface properties of polyethylene can successfully be altered using argon plasmas. In this work, the surface modification of low density polyethylene (LDPE) using an argon atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) is profoundly investigated. The surface modification is examined using different analysing techniques namely, water contact angle (WCA) measurements for the wettability and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the chemical composition. Particular attention is paid to the treatment distance between the plasma jet capillary and the LDPE foil and the applied treatment time. At treatment distances between 5 and 15 mm, the WCA can be reduced with more than 70% within a treatment time of a few ms. XPS measurements reveal that this is due to the incorporation of oxygen containing groups and especially the increased implementation of the O–C O group has a big influence. At treatment distances above 15 mm, the wettability decreases with increasing treatment distance. The wettability can however be enhanced by increasing the treatment time. Ageing considerations show that the loss in treatment efficiency is restricted to only 25%, meaning that even after 14 days of ageing the WCA reduction upon plasma treatment is still more than 40%. Based on the above mentioned results, the most appropriate parameters can thus be selected to provide an efficient plasma treatment of LDPE using the argon APPJ.

Fast photoswitching of wetting properties is important for the development of micro/nanofluidic systems and lab-on-a-chip devices. Here, we show how structuring the surface amplifies photoswitching properties. Atomic layer-deposited titanium dioxide (TiO2) has phototunable hydrophilic properties due to its surface chemistry, but microscale overhang pillars and additional nanoscale topography can override the chemistry and make the surface superhydrophobic. Three switching processes are achieved simply by controlling the UV exposure time: from (1) rolling superhydrophobic to sticky superhydrophobic (Cassie-Baxter to Wenzel), (2) superhydrophobic to hydrophilic, and (3) superhydrophobic to superhydrophilic after 1, 5, and 10 min of UV exposure, respectively. We report the fastest reversible switching to date: 1 min of UV exposure is enough to promote a rolling-to-sticky transition, and mild heating (30 min at 60 °C) is sufficient for recovery. This performance is caused by a combination of the photoswitching properties of TiO2, the micropillar overhang geometry, and surface nanostructuring. We demonstrate that the switching also can be performed locally by introducing microwriting under a water droplet.

Made available in DSpace on 2018-12-11T17:33:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2017-12-01 Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) This study presents an inexpensive and easy way to produce a microfluidic device that mimics a blood vessel, serving as a start point for cell culture under perfusion, cardiovascular research, and toxicological studies. Endpoint assays (i.e., MTT reduction and NO assays) were used and revealed that the components making up the microchip, which is made of polyester and toner (PT), did not induce cell death or nitric oxide (NO) production. Applying oxygen plasma and fibronectin improved the adhesion and proliferation endothelial cell along the microchannel. As expected, these treatments showed an increase in vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF-A) concentration profiles, which is correlated with adherence and cell proliferation, thus promoting endothelialization of the device for neovascularization. Regardless the simplicity of the device, our vein-on-a-chip mimetic has a potential to serve as a powerful tool for those that demand a rapid microfabrication method in cell biology or organ-on-a-chip research. Instituto de Química de São Carlos IQSC Universidade de São Paulo USP GHTM - Global Health and Tropical Medicine Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical IHMT Universidade Nova de Lisboa UNL Laboratório de Parasitologia Departamento de Morfologia e Patologia Universidade Federal de São Carlos UFSCar Escola Paulista de Medicina Universidade Federal de São Paulo Unifesp Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas FCFar Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia de Bioanalítica INCTBio Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas FCFar Universidade Estadual Paulista UNESP CNPq: 150096/2014-3 CNPq: 150250/2014-2 CNPq: 311323/2011-1 CNPq: 400168/2013-8 CNPq: 482696/2011-7

We report on the preparation of functional polymer surfaces with controlled topography by using the breath figures approach. The resulting surfaces prepared from a mixture of a PS-b-PAA diblock copolymer and a homopolymer (PS) exhibit pores that are mainly composed of diblock copolymer whereas the rest of the surface is formed by homopolymer. The formation of a hexagonal assembly of pores was achieved by controlling several parameters during the casting process including relative humidity, composition of the blend and polymer concentration. A selective modification of the pore inner part by using appropriate polypeptide sequences permitted the use of these surfaces as scaffolds for pattern and display of active biomolecules, as ordered templates for specific recognition processes and finally for the micropatterning of bacterial cells., This research is funded in part by the European Commission International Reintegration Grant (IRG-246688) (ALC) and AMAROUT-COFUND Europe Programme (ALC). This work was financially supported by the MINECO (Projects MAT2010-17016). A. S. de León thanks the Ministerio de Educación for his FPU predoctoral fellowship. In addition we acknowledge IMDEA-Nanociencia for financial support through the Initiation Research Fellowships (2010).

Medical-grade polyvinyl chloride was surface modified by a multistep physicochemical approach to improve bacterial adhesion prevention properties. This was fulfilled via surface activation by diffuse coplanar surface barrier discharge plasma followed by radical graft copolymerization of acrylic acid through surface-initiated pathway to render a structured high density brush. Three known antibacterial agents, bronopol, benzalkonium chloride, and chlorhexidine, were then individually coated onto functionalized surface to induce biological properties. Various modern surface probe techniques were employed to explore the effects of the modification steps. In vitro bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation assay was performed. Escherichia coli strain was found to be more susceptible to modifications rather than Staphylococcus aureus as up to 85% reduction in adherence degree of the former was observed upon treating with above antibacterial agents, while only chlorhexidine could retard the adhesion of the latter by 50%. Also, plasma treated and graft copolymerized samples were remarkably effective to diminish the adherence of E. coli. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We experimentally study the dynamics of water in the Cassie-Baxter state to Wenzel state transition on surfaces decorated with assemblies of micrometer-size square pillars arranged on a square lattice. The transition on the micro-patterned superhydrophobic polymer surfaces is followed with a high-speed camera. Detailed analysis of the movement of the liquid during this transition reveals the wetting front velocity dependence on the geometry and material properties. We show that a decrease in gap size as well as an increase in pillar height and intrinsic material hydrophobicity result in a lower front velocity. Scaling arguments based on balancing surface forces and viscous dissipation allow us to derive a relation with which we can rescale all experimentally measured front velocities, obtained for various pattern geometries and materials, on one single curve.

Contact angle hysteresis phenomena on polymer surfaces have been studied by contact angle measurements using sessile liquid droplets and captive air bubbles in conjunction with a drop shape method known as Axisymmetric Drop Shape Analysis — Profile (ADSA-P). In addition, commercially available sessile drop goniometer techniques were used. The polymer surfaces were characterized with respect to their surface structure (morphology, roughness, swelling) and surface chemistry (elemental surface composition, acid–base characteristics) by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), scanning force microscopy (SFM), ellipsometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and streaming potential measurements. Heterogeneous polymer surfaces with controlled roughness and chemical composition were prepared by different routes using plasma etching and subsequent dip coating or grafting of polymer brushes, anodic oxidation of aluminium substrates coated with thin polymer films, deposition techniques to create regular patterned and rough fractal surfaces from core–shell particles, and block copolymers. To reveal the effects of swelling and reorientation at the solid/liquid interface contact angle hysteresis phenomena on polyimide surfaces, cellulose membranes, and thermo-responsive hydrogels have been studied. The effect of different solutes in the liquid (electrolytes, surfactants) and their impact on contact angle hysteresis were characterized for solid polymers without and with ionizable functional surface groups in aqueous electrolyte solutions of different ion concentrations and pH and for photoresist surfaces in cationic aqueous surfactant solutions. The work is an attempt toward the understanding of contact angle hysteresis phenomena on polymer surfaces aimed at the control of wettability for different applications.

Nanometer scale patterns were formed on the surface of several amorphous polystyrenes by a scanning probe microscope (SPM) operating in the contact mode. In order to better understand the nature of their formation, samples of several molar masses were systematically examined at room temperature in ambient conditions as well as in a liquid cell. The formation of the surface patterns was found to depend strongly upon the apparent tip radius, applied normal loading and time of scanning. The experimental results are analyzed by considering the plastic deformation of the glassy polymer subjected to high stresses by the sharp stylus of the scanning probe. Contact mechanics theory is applied to provide an estimate of the normal and shear stresses. Limitations of these theories are discussed. New results are presented that show that surface deformation occurs beyond a critical normal loading.

Short fibres and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) powder were mixed by swirling in a glass jar with compressed nitrogen. It was found that a kind of attraction between the fibres and UHMWPE particles is crucial for making a composite with a proper fibre distribution. If aramid and UHMWPE fibres are mixed with UHMWPE powder, electric charges are generated by triboelectrification. The electrostatic attraction is responsible for the coherence of the two components. However, if PET fibres are used, hardly any charges are formed, leading to an inhomogeneous composite. This problem can be solved in two ways: (i) by charging the components before the mixing step with corona or(ii) by using oxidized UHMWPE powder. In this case, hydrogen bonds are formed between the PET fibres and as a result the UHMWPE particles and a composite with a proper fibre distribution and better mechanical properties could be obtained. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical gradient surfaces are surfaces with a gradually changing chemistry along their length which is responsible for a position bound variation in physical properties, most notably, the wettability. In this review, methods to prepare (palladium deposition, diffusion technique, density gradient method, gas diffusion technique, radio frequency plasma and corona discharge, poly(vinylene carbonate) hydrolysis) and characterize gradient surfaces are summarized. The number of techniques available to characterize gradient surfaces is effectively limited to the Wilhelmy plate method for wettability characterization, because the spatial resolution of more chemically oriented techniques, like infrared spectroscopy or X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy is still too limited, apart from their poor surface sensitivity as compared to contact angles. Gradient surfaces are especially useful to study biological interactions along their lengths, as the influence of the entire wettability spectrum upon protein adsorption or cellular interactions can be obtained in one single experiment, therewith minimizing biological variations. In general, proteins adsorb more extensively on the hydrophobic ends of gradient surfaces, which is accompanied by a lesser spreading and adhesion of tissue cells than on the hydrophilic ends of gradient surfaces. An influence of the specific chemistry constituting the gradient, upon protein adsorption as well as on cellular interactions always remains, indicating that biological interactions at an interface are not solely governed by wettability.

Due to the large surface-to-volume ratio of nanowires, the quality of nanowire-insulator interfaces as well as the nanowire surface characteristics significantly influence the electrical characteristics of nanowire transistors (NWTs). To improve the electrical characteristics by doping or post-processing, it is important to evaluate the interface characteristics and stability of NWTs. In this study, we have synthesized ZnSnO (ZTO) nanowires using the chemical vapor deposition method, characterized the composition of ZTO nanowires using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and fabricated ZTO NWTs. We have characterized the current-voltage characteristics and low-frequency noise of ZTO NWTs in order to investigate the effects of interface states on subthreshold slope (SS) and the noise before and after N-2 plasma treatments. The as-fabricated device exhibited a SS of 0.29 V/dec and Hooge parameter of similar to 1.20 x 10(-2). Upon N-2 plasma treatment with N-2 gas flow rate of 40 sccm (20 sccm), the SS improved to 0.12 V/dec (0.21 V/dec) and the Hooge parameter decreased to similar to 4.99 x 10(-3) (8.14 x 10(-3)). The interface trap densities inferred from both SS and low-frequency noise decrease upon plasma treatment, with the highest flow rate yielding the smallest trap density. These results demonstrate that the N-2 plasma treatment decreases the interface trap states and defects on ZTO nanowires, thereby enabling the fabrication of high-quality nanowire interfaces.

9 pages; International audience; The effect of surface charges on the ionic distribution in close proximity to an interface has been extensively studied. On the contrary, the influence of ions (from dissolved salts) on deformable interfaces has been barely investigated. Ions can adsorb from aqueous solutions on hydrophobic surfaces, generating forces that can induce longlasting deformation of glassy polymer films, a process called ion-induced polymer nanostructuration, IPN. We have found that this process is ion-specific; larger surface modifications are observed in the presence of water ions and hydrophobic and amphiphilic ions. Surface structuration is also observed in the presence of certain salts of lithium. We have used streaming potential and atomic force microscopy to study the effect of dissolved ions on the surface properties of polystyrene films, finding a good correlation between ionic adsorption and IPN. Our results also suggest that the presence of strongly hydrated lithium promotes the interaction of anions with polystyrene surfaces and more generally with hydrophobic polymer surfaces, triggering then the IPN process.

A thin film of poly(hydroxymethylsiloxane) (PHMS) has been deposited on glass dishes and tested as artificial support material for vascularization from mixed cultures of endothelial cells (EC) and pericytes (PC). The EC/PC co-cultures adhered massively on PHMS, with the formation of net-like microcapillary structures. Such evidence was not found on control glass substrates in the same co-culture conditions neither on PHMS for EC and PC in monocultures. The physicochemical characterization of PHMS and control glass surface by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, water contact angle and atomic force microscopy, pointed to the main role of the polymer hydrophobilicy to explain the observed cellular behavior. Moreover, enhanced intercellular cross-talk was evidenced by the up-regulation and activation of cytoplasmic and Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A(2) (cPLA(2) and iPLA(2)) expression and cPLA(2) phosphorylation, leading to the cell proliferation and microcapillary formation on the PHMS surface, as evidenced by confocal microscopy analyses. Co-cultures, established with growth-arrested PCs by treatment with mitomycin C, showed an increase in EC proliferation on PHMS. AACOCF(3) or co-transfection with cPLA(2) and iPLA(2)siRNA reduced cell proliferation. The results highlight the major role played by EC/PC cross-talk as well as the hydrophobic character of the substrate surface, to promote microcapillary formation. Our findings suggest an attractive strategy for vascular tissue engineering and provide new details on the interplay of artificial substrates and capillary formation.

Bacterial adhesion and encrustation are the known causes for obstruction or blockage of urethral catheters and ureteral stents, which often hinders their effective use within the urinary tract. In this in vitro study, polyvinylpyrrolidone-iodine (PVP-I) complex modified polyurethane (Tecoflex �) systems were created by physically entrapping the modifying species during the reversible swelling of the polymer surface region. The presence of the PVP-I molecules on this surfaces were verified by ATR-FTIR, AFM and SEM-EDAX analysis, while wettability of the films was investigated by water contact angle measurements. The modified surfaces were investigated for its suitability as a urinary tract biomaterial by comparing its lubricity and ability to resist bacterial adherence and encrustation with that of base polyurethane. The PVP-I modified polyurethane showed a nanopatterned surface topography and was highly hydrophilic and more lubricious than control polyurethane. Adherence of both the gram positive Staphylococcus aureus (by 86%; **P < 0.01) and gram-negative Pseudomonas aeruginosa (by 80%; *P < 0.05) was significantly reduced on the modified surfaces. The deposition of struvite and hydroxyapatite the major components of urinary tract encrustations were significantly less on PVP-I modified polyurethane as compared to base polyurethane, especially reduction in hydroxyapatite encrustation was particularly marked. These results demonstrated that the PVP-I entrapment process can be applied on polyurethane in order to reduce/lower complications associated with bacterial adhesion and deposition of encrustation on polyurethanes. � Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.

Biomaterial-associated infections are the major cause of implant failure and can develop many years after implantation. Success or failure of an implant depends on the balance between host tissue integration and bacterial colonization. Here, we describe a newin vitromodel for the post-operative bacterial contamination of implant surfaces and investigate the effects of contamination on the balance between mammalian cell growth and bacterial biofilm formation. U2OS osteosarcoma cells were seeded on poly(methyl methacrylate) in different densities and allowed to grow for 24 h in a parallel-plate flow chamber at a low shear rate (0.14 s−1), followed by contamination withStaphylococcus epidermidisATCC 35983 at a shear rate of 11 s−1. The U2OS cells and staphylococci were allowed to grow simultaneously for another 24 h under low-shear conditions (0.14 s−1). Mammalian cell growth was severely impaired when the bacteria were introduced to surfaces with a low initial cell density (2.5×104cells cm−2), but in the presence of higher initial cell densities (8.2×104cells cm−2and 17×104cells cm−2), contaminating staphylococci did not affect cell growth. This study is believed to be the first to show that a critical coverage by mammalian cells is needed to effectively protect a biomaterial implant against contaminating bacteria.

We describe the formation of laser-induced photonic nanostructures at polymer surfaces, which can be used for applications in cell biology. We demonstrate that ripple structures are able to control the adhesion, alignment and migration of living biological cells cultured thereon. In order to study primary cell cultures there is a need to both sort cells and then perform biological assays, e.g., for introduction of genetically active material into cells. The latter process is known as cell transfection, which can be performed by electroporation at photochemically modified polymer surfaces providing good adhesion of attached cells. This is demonstrated also in the current paper. Cell sorting can readily be achieved by targeting cell specific membrane proteins with surface immobilized antibodies. Preliminary results on selective antibody immobilization at photochemically modified polymer surfaces for selective cell sorting are presented here. Finally, we discuss the potential of polymer surfaces with photonic nanostructures for enhanced sorting selectivity and better transfection efficiency. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Evaporating sessile drops remain pinned at the contact line during much of the evaporation process, and leave a ring of residue on the surface upon dryout. The intensive mass loss near the contact line causes solute particles to flow to the edge of the droplet and deposit at the contact line. The high vapor diffusion gradient and the low thermal resistance of the film near the contact line are responsible for very efficient mass transfer in this region. Although heat and mass transfer at the contact line have been extensively studied, well-characterized experiments remain scarce. The local mass transport in a 100-400 microm region near the contact line of a water droplet of radius 1810 microm on a glass substrate is experimentally quantified in the present work. Microparticle image velocimetry measurements of the three-dimensional flow field near the contact line are conducted to map the velocity field. Combined with high-resolution transient liquid profile shapes, the measured velocity field yields transient local evaporative mass fluxes near the contact line. The spatial and temporal distribution of the local evaporative flux is also documented. The temperature distribution in the droplet near the contact line is deduced from the local evaporative fluxes and interface mass transport theory.

Superhydrophobic surfaces are gaining considerable interest in a lot of different applications, and nonetheless, precise control over the wettability properties of such surfaces is still a challenge due to difficulties when controlling the effects independently induced on superhydrophobicity by the chemical and topological surface characteristics. We have fabricated engineered superhydrophobic surfaces onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates by means of suitable CF4-plasma treatments. These treatments allowed the modification of both the morphological properties of the PDMS surface, due to a preferential etching of certain components of its macromolecules, and the chemical ones, by the deposition of a fluorinated layer. Chemical effects were separated from topological ones by performing a double replica molding process of the CF4-plasma-treated surfaces. This allowed us to obtain positive copies of the structured surfaces without the overlaying fluorinated coating affecting the surface chemistry. Such replicated surfaces showed a decrease of the contact angle if compared to the treated ones and therefore evidenced chemistry's weight in superhydrophobicity effects. In particular, we found that, for highly dense columnar-like PDMS microstructures, the effect of the plasma-deposited fluorinated layer covering surfaces produces an enhancement of the contact angle of about 20 degrees .

Major obstacles for successful application of endothelial cell seeding in synthetic vascular grafts include the source of autologous endothelial cells, the efficiency of cell seeding and detachment of adherent endothelial cells from the graft surface after restoration of circulation. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) are frequently used to investigate the in vitro adhesion and proliferation of endothelial cells on polymer surfaces. In order to minimize the biological variation of HUVECs isolated from different umbilical veins, it would be advantageous to use an endothelial cell line in in vitro proliferation experiments. Aim of the present study was to compare the proliferation of primary HUVECs and the endothelial cell line EC-RF24 on several polymer surfaces coated with various concentrations of the adhesive protein fibronectin. EC-RF24 cells grow to a higher density than primary HUVECs. Moreover, the EC-RF24 cell line is able to proliferate on surfaces with sub-optimal adhesive properties. Therefore, it is concluded that the EC-RF24 cell line is less suitable for evaluation of the in vitro proliferation of endothelial cells on polymer surfaces.

In this study, adhesion and spreading of human skin fibroblasts on gradient surfaces of dichlorodimethylsilane (DDS) coupled to glass was investigated. Gradient surfaces were prepared by the diffusion technique and characterized by the Wilhelmy plate technique for their wettability and by scanning x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy for their chemical surface composition. A linear relation between the gradient length, based on advancing water contact angles, and the square root of the diffusion time of DDS was observed. XPS analysis and the cellular experiments were carried out on gradient surfaces prepared using a diffusion time of 3 h. A continuously varying chemical composition over the length of the gradient surfaces was observed with the Si/O elemental surface concentration ratio being highest on the hydrophobic end of the gradient surfaces. In the presence of serum proteins, human skin fibroblasts seeded on these gradient surfaces showed a preferential adhesion onto the steepest part of the gradient, probably due to an optimal local wettability and/or local chemistry. Furthermore, it was shown that the spread area of human fibroblasts increased over the length of the gradient surface when going from the hydrophobic to the hydrophilic end. Summarizing, this study shows that the use of gradient surfaces to study cellular responses to materials surface properties, like wettability, yields more-convincing conclusions than the use of a variety of materials with different wettabilities due to the control of the specific surface chemistry of gradient surfaces. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Structural, chemical, mechanical and surface changes were studied in expanded polytetrafluroethylene vascular grafts explanted from children undergoing planned surgical management of congenital heart disease. These grafts were implanted when recipients were aged 7 days to 8 years (median - 48 weeks) and they had been in circulation for a period of 10-52 months (median - 74 weeks). While no chemical changes were observed in the shunt, on average the tensile strength had decreased by 50%, total elongation by 61% and crystallinity by 3%. No salt deposits were observed on the surface of the graft. Soluble and insoluble proteins were bound to the polymer surface, which had made the surface hydrophilic. The external surface roughness had increased by 254.5 and the internal surface roughness by 2.6 times the initial value. The fine polymer structure had become fused and clumped. The fusing of strands on the polymer surface became more pronounced with longer duration of implantation. In one instance of previously documented graft stenosis, the heat capacity was found to be more than that of the unimplanted sample, indicating an increase in crystallinity. A longer period of study with a larger sample size would likely shed more light on the relation between physico-chemical changes and graft stenosis. � 2008 IOP Publishing Ltd.

Herein, we study the microstructuring of toluene-vapor-softened polystyrene surfaces with nonsolvent sessile droplets. Arrays of microvessels are obtained by depositing non-evaporating droplets of ethylene glycol/water on the original polystyrene surfaces and subsequently exposing them to saturated toluene vapor. The droplets act as a mask on the polymer, thereby impeding the toluene vapor to diffuse and soften the polystyrene surface below them. Alternatively, the formation of microcraters at random positions--with an average depth-to-width aspect ratio of 0.5 and a diameter as small as 1.5 microm--is achieved by condensing water droplets on a softened polystyrene surface. The cross-sections of the microvessels and the contact angle of the sessile water droplets suggest that the structures are formed by the combined action of the Laplace pressure at the bottom of the droplet and the surface tension acting at the three-phase contact line of the droplets. As a support, the rim height and the depth of the microvessels are fitted with an elastic theory to provide Young's modulus of the softened polystyrene surface.

Although the synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides has been recognized in certain bacterial cultures since a long time ago, its role in bacterial adhesion is still subject to some debate. Several fermentation batch cultures were performed at different conditions of pH (pH 7 and pH 8, maintained with NaOH and HCl, pH 7 phosphate buffer, and without pH control) in order to study the relation between the production of extracellular polysaccharides and biofilm formation on polymeric slides suspended in the culture medium. The polymers used were: polystyrene, polypropylene, low and high density polyethylene and polyvinylchloride. The maximum amount of exopolysaccharides in the culture medium occurs at pH 7 (controlled with NaOH and HCl), although the thicker biofilms are formed when there is no pH control. It should be noted that the NaOH can dissolve part of the capsular polysaccharides and this may bias the determination of polysaccharides in suspension. The biofilms were analysed by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and by Wavelength Dispersion Spectroscopy (WDS). Biofilm morphology seems to be much more dependent on the type of substrata than on the pH of the medium: for different pH values, a polymeric network can be more clearly observed on biofilms formed on all surfaces except the polyvinylchloride one.

In this study, a new and simple method is described to prepare wettability gradients on polymers by means of glow discharge in a partly shielded argon plasma. The surface characteristics of thus prepared gradients on low density polyethylene were determined by contact angle measurements and electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and demonstrate that a chemical gradient of oxidized groups extends over a length of up to 4.5 cm, depending on the height of the plasma cover and the duration of the treatment. The chemical functionalities in which the oxygen was involved, however, were the same over the length of all gradients. Advancing water contact angles decrease from around 100 degrees on the hydrophobic end to 40 degrees on the hydrophilic end, with a contact angle hysteresis of around 40 degrees. The steepest gradient was obtained with the cover at smaller distance above the polyethylene. Adsorption of albumin, fibrinogen and immunoglobulin G along the length of such a gradient surfaces increased with the distance from the hydrophobic end. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.