Abstract:
Stimuli-responsive microgels have attracted great interest in recent years as building blocks for fabricating smart surfaces with many technological applications. In particular, PNIPAM microgels are promising candidates for creating thermo-responsive scaffolds to control cell growth and detachment via temperature stimuli. In this framework, understanding the influence of the solid substrate is critical for tailoring microgel coatings to specific applications. The surface modification of the substrate is a winning strategy used to manage microgel-substrate interactions. To control the spreading of microgel particles on a solid surface, glass substrates are coated with a PEI or an APTES layer to improve surface hydrophobicity and add positive charges on the interface. A systematic investigation of PNIPAM microgels spin-coated through a double-step deposition protocol on pristine glass and on functionalised glasses was performed by combining wettability measurements and Atomic Force Microscopy. The greater flattening of microgel particles on less hydrophilic substrates can be explained as a consequence of the reduced shielding of the water-substrate interactions that favors electrostatic interactions between microgels and the substrate. This approach allows the yielding of effective control on microgel coatings that will help to unlock new possibilities for their application in biomedical devices, sensors, or responsive surfaces.
摘要:
近年来,刺激响应性微凝胶作为制造具有许多技术应用的智能表面的构建块引起了极大的兴趣。特别是,PNIPAM微凝胶是用于创建热响应性支架以通过温度刺激控制细胞生长和脱离的有希望的候选物。在这个框架中,了解固体基质的影响对于针对特定应用定制微凝胶涂层至关重要。基材的表面改性是用于管理微凝胶-基材相互作用的成功策略。为了控制微凝胶颗粒在固体表面上的扩散,用PEI或APTES层涂覆玻璃基材以改善表面疏水性并在界面上添加正电荷。通过结合润湿性测量和原子力显微镜检查,对通过双步沉积方案在原始玻璃和功能化玻璃上旋涂的PNIPAM微凝胶进行了系统研究。微凝胶颗粒在亲水性较低的基材上的更大的平坦化可以解释为水-基材相互作用的减少的屏蔽的结果,这有利于微凝胶和基材之间的静电相互作用。这种方法可以有效控制微凝胶涂层,这将有助于解锁它们在生物医学设备中应用的新可能性。传感器,或响应表面。