Title: Manufacturing a nanometre scale surface topography with varying surface chemistry to assess the combined effect on cell behaviour

Authors: Brian G. Cousins, Jurgita Zekonyte, Patrick J. Doherty, Michael J. Garvey, Rachel L. Williams

Addresses: Department of Clinical Engineering, University of Liverpool, Duncan Building, Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK. ' School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Liverpool, Sherrington Building, Ashton Street, Liverpool L69 3GE, UK. ' Department of Clinical Engineering, University of Liverpool, Duncan Building, Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK. ' Department of Physics, University of Liverpool, Oliver Lodge Laboratory, Liverpool L69 7ZE, UK. ' Department of Clinical Engineering, University of Liverpool, Duncan Building, Daulby Street, Liverpool L69 3GA, UK

Abstract: Surface topography and surface chemistry can influence cell adhesion. This study evaluated how the combined effect of topography and chemistry can reduce cell spreading and proliferation. Silica nanoparticulate coatings ranging from 7, 14 and 21 nm in diameter were manufactured on glass substrates and chemically modified using organofunctional siloxanes bearing methyl (−CH₃), sulphydryl (−SH), amine (−NH₂), carboxyl (−COOH) and hydroxyl (−OH) terminal functional groups. Chemical modification of 7 nm silica induced changes in wettability with the advancing angle increasing for all modifications and the receding angle increasing for −CH₃, −NH₂ and −SH group modifications. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that the surface chemistry was altered for all chemically modified surfaces confirming the modification step. The Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM) demonstrated that the nanoparticulate coating remained intact after each chemical treatment. Optical microscopy from tissue culture experiments revealed changes in the morphology of the cells that could be attributed to the surface topography of the nanoparticulate coatings irrespective of the surface chemistry.

Keywords: surface modification; nanoparticles; colloidal silica; cell interactions; organosilanes; surface analysis; cell morphology; cell proliferation; nanomaterials; surface topography; surface chemistry; cell behaviour; cell adhesion; silica coatings.

DOI: 10.1504/IJNBM.2008.016878

International Journal of Nano and Biomaterials, 2008 Vol.1 No.3, pp.320 - 338

Published online: 26 Jan 2008 *

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