Anti-fouling surfaces by combined molecular self-assembly and surface-initiated ATRP for micropatterning active proteins

A simple method by combined molecular self assembly and surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) was proposed to prepare a biologically inert surface for micropatterning active proteins. The MPEG microdomains having a short terminal poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) unit were prepared by self assembly of 2-(methyoxy(polyethylenoxy) propyl)trimethoxy silane (MPEG-silane). The remaining local regions or poly(poly(ethylene glycol)methyl ether methacrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (P(PEGMEMA-co-GMA)) microdomains were produced via SI-ATRP of PEGMEMA and GMA comonomers. The epoxy groups of the P(PEGMEMA-co-GMA) microdomains were used directly for covalent coupling of an active protein (human immunoglobulin or IgG) via the ring-opening reaction to produce the IgG-coupled microdomains. The IgG-coupled microdomains interact only and specifically with target anti-IgG, while the other antifouling microregions from self-assembled monolayers with short terminal PEG units effectively prevent specific and non-specific protein fouling. When extended to other active biomolecules, microarrays for specific and non-specific analyte interactions with a high signal-to-noise ratio could be readily tailored.

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► Molecular self assembly and surface-initiated SI-ATRP could be combined to prepare a biologically inert surface for micropatterning active proteins.
► The IgG-coupled microdomains interact only and specifically with target anti-IgG.
► The antifouling microregions from self-assembled monolayers with short terminal PEG units effectively prevent specific and non-specific protein fouling.