Lab-on-a-chip-compatible graphene oxide coatings via SAW atomization for supporting cell proliferation

This study examined the effect of graphene oxide (GO) film coatings, obtained via surface acoustic wave (SAW) atomization, on in vitro fibroblast proliferation on glass and gold-coated glass substrates, compared with optimal reference conditions in tissue culture-treated (TC-treated) plates.

Fibroblast monolayers (FM) were cultured on GO-modified and unmodified substrates. Proliferation curves were analyzed using a linear approximation of the logistic equation (LE) over the time interval following initial adhesion. This approach enables quantitative evaluation of proliferation kinetics in the low-density regime, focusing on substrate-cell interactions where collective effects may be treated as a small parameter.

The growth rate and carrying capacity of the logistic growth were determined for the reference condition, glass and gold substrates, and thin and thick GO films. TC-treated plates exhibited the highest initial cell density, whereas bare substrates showed reduced values. GO deposition systematically enhanced cell attachment, with thicker films restoring the growth rate and carrying capacity to near-reference levels. Thinner GO films and bare substrates showed reduced proliferation. Carrying capacity was highest for the reference condition and thicker GO films, indicating negligible growth limitation within the experimental timeframe, and lower for thinner films and bare substrates, consistent with inhibitory effects of mechanically stressed microenvironments.

GO films, obtained via SAW atomization, effectively passivate glass and gold surfaces, enhancing substrate biocompatibility by increasing surface hydrophilicity, enabling their use in lab-on-chip platforms and related microfabricated biological devices. The proposed linear model successfully captures early-stage proliferation kinetics and isolates substrate-mediated effects, providing more precise values for the growth rate parameter.