Manipulation of cellular behaviour on surface-modified polyvinylidene difluoride using wet chemistry

The surface modification of polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) for various biomedical uses is notoriously hampered by the chemical inertness of the polymer. A wet chemical approach aiming at covalently grafting biomolecules was demonstrated by means of an elimination reaction of fluorine from the polymer backbone followed by subsequent modification steps. Exemplified as a possible biological application, the coupling of the peptide REDV rendered the material adhesive for endothelial cells while adhesion of thrombocytes was dramatically reduced.