Protein adsorption on various plasma-treated polyethylene terephthalate substrates

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Surface Chemistry
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Plasma treatment is a key method for modifying polymer surface properties.
• Controlling surface wettability influences protein adsorption and cell behavior.
• Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is a widely used polymer in biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of oxygen and tetrafluoromethane plasma treatments on PET surface properties.
• To analyze protein adsorption kinetics and characteristics on modified PET surfaces.
• To evaluate cellular response, specifically cell adhesion, to plasma-treated PET.

Main Methods:

• Radiofrequency (RF) plasma discharge for surface modification (oxygen for hydrophilic, CF(4) for hydrophobic).
• Quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) for protein adsorption analysis.
• MTT assay and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for cellular response assessment.

Main Results:

• Oxygen plasma treatment resulted in a hydrophilic surface with the fastest protein adsorption rate.
• Higher protein adsorption amounts and more viscoelastic adsorbed layers were observed on oxygen-plasma-treated PET.
• The highest cell adhesion was achieved on the hydrophilic oxygen-plasma-treated substrates.

Conclusions:

• Surface hydrophilicity, induced by oxygen plasma treatment, significantly enhances protein adsorption and improves cell adhesion on PET.
• Plasma treatment offers a viable strategy for tailoring PET surface properties for improved biological interactions.
• The findings have implications for designing biomaterials with enhanced biocompatibility.