Photo-Irresponsive Molecule-Amplified Cell Release on Photoresponsive Nanostructured Surfaces

Cell manipulation has raised extensive concern owing to its underlying applications in numerous biological situations such as cell-matrix interaction, tissue engineering, and cell-based diagnosis. Generally, light is considered as a superior candidate for manipulating cells (e.g., cell release) due to their high spatiotemporal precision and non-invasion. However, it remains a big challenge to release cells with high efficiency due to their potential limitation of the light-triggered wettability transition on photoresponsive surfaces. In this study, we report a photoresponsive spiropyran-coated nanostructured surface that enables highly efficient release of cancer cells, amplified by the introduction of a photo-irresponsive molecule. On one hand, structural recognition stems from topological interaction between nanofractal surfaces and the protrusions of cancer cells. On the other, molecular recognition can be amplified by a photo-irresponsive and hydrophilic molecule by reducing the steric hindrance of photoresponsive components and resisting nonspecific cell adhesion. Therefore, this study may afford a novel avenue for developing advanced smart materials for high-quality biological analysis and clinical diagnosis.