Functional Micropatterned Surfaces by Combination of Plasma Polymerization and Lift‐Off Processes

Summary: In this study, microstructured surfaces are produced by a spatial arrangement of different functional domains by a combination of plasma polymerization and photolithography. Two different kinds of protein and cell adhesive patterns have been alternated with non‐fouling areas. Non‐fouling patterns are made of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO)‐like polymers obtained by pulsed plasma polymerization of diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, which leads to coatings with a high concentration of ethylene oxide groups (>70%). Fouling surfaces are composed of PEO coatings with a low concentration of ethylene oxide groups (≈40%) and films containing amino groups (from allylamine monomer) obtained by plasma polymerization. High pattern fidelity is demonstrated by ellispometry measurements, whereas XPS and ToF‐SIMS analyses have been used to characterize the surfaces. Experiments with a model protein (bovine serum albumin) and cells (L929 mouse fibroblasts) on patterned surfaces show that proteins and cells only adhere on the patterns, whereas the background stays uncovered. Optical image showing the selective proliferation of L929 mouse fibroblast cells after culture on a pulsed PEO‐like/PAL micropatterned surface. magnified image Optical image showing the selective proliferation of L929 mouse fibroblast cells after culture on a pulsed PEO‐like/PAL micropatterned surface.