Wrinkled, wavelength-tunable graphene-based surface topographies for directing cell alignment and morphology

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cell Biology
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Textured surfaces with ordered features mimic physiological environments, influencing cell behavior.
• Graphene-based materials offer unique properties for biomedical applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate wrinkled graphene surfaces as substrates for cell attachment and alignment.
• To demonstrate the tunability of graphene wrinkling for controlling cell morphology.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of wrinkled graphene surfaces via graphene oxide deposition on pre-stretched elastomers.
• Tuning of wrinkle wavelength and amplitude through controlled deposition and thermal treatment.
• Culturing human and murine fibroblasts on textured and planar graphene surfaces for comparison.

Main Results:

• Wrinkled graphene surfaces promote significant cell alignment and elongation compared to planar controls.
• Fibroblast cells remain viable and exhibit altered morphology on the textured substrates.
• Wrinkle characteristics are systematically tunable by adjusting the fabrication process.

Conclusions:

• Wrinkled graphene surfaces are a promising, scalable platform for directing cell-material interactions.
• This approach offers advantages in simplicity and fabrication scalability over lithographic methods.
• The combination of topographic cues with graphene's properties opens possibilities for advanced biomedical devices.