Surface Chemical Functionalization of Wrinkled Thiol-ene Elastomers for Promoting Cellular Alignment

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Surface Engineering

Background:

• Wrinkled polymer surfaces are widely applicable but often limited by poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates.
• Existing methods lack spatial control over wrinkle features and surface chemistry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a versatile method for surface functionalization of wrinkled elastomer substrates.
• To demonstrate precise control over surface chemistry and topography for tailored material applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized thiol-Michael reaction for elastomer formation and free radical UV polymerization for wrinkle induction.
• Employed multi-step thiol-ene click chemistry for surface functionalization.
• Functionalized surfaces with RGDS peptides for cell adhesion or hydroxyl ethyl acrylate for passivation.

Main Results:

• Achieved enhanced spreading and cell density of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) on RGDS-functionalized surfaces.
• Observed a two-fold increase in hMSC alignment on wrinkled substrates.
• Demonstrated gradient functionalization by tuning wrinkle wavelength for rapid screening.

Conclusions:

• The developed click chemistry approach enables simultaneous tuning of wrinkle topology and surface chemistry.
• This method offers precise control over surface properties for targeted applications in biomaterials and tissue engineering.
• Provides a versatile platform for engineering cell-material interactions.