Synthesis of a Kind of Temperature-responsive Cell Culture Surface for Corneal Sheet

In this study, acrylic acid (AA) and 4-azidoaniline were used to modify poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (Nl-PAAm) in order to fabricate temperature-responsive surface for corneal epithelia cell adhesion and detachment. First, NIPAAm was copolymerized with acrylic acid. Then, the copolymer was coupled with azidoaniline to synthesize AzPhPIA, derivative of p(NIPAAm-co-AA), which possesses both thermo- and photo-sensitivities. Second, the synthesized copolymer was characterized by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and a CHN analyzer. The thermo-sensitivity was characterized by temperature reducing experiment, contact angle measurement and low critical solution temperature (LCST) testing. Third, the derivatized copolymer was immobilized by photolithography on a polystyrene plate, and then the surface characterization of AzPhPIA-coated polystyrene plate (PSt) was measured by electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA). The thermo-sensitivity and cytocompatibility of the AzPhPIA-coated PSt were investigated by corneal epithelial cells culture. The results revealed that the AzPhPIA-coated PSt exhibited good cytocompatibility and cell detachability when temperature decreased.