Nanopatterned Polymer Brushes As Switchable Bioactive Interfaces

We report convenient methods for synthesis of nanopatterned, thermally responsive brushes of poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide) over large areas (e.g., 1 cm(2)) to form model, dynamic, biofunctional surfaces. The new nanopatterned brush structure can be used to control (i) the rate of both nonspecific and biospecific adsorption processes at the polymer-graft-free regions of the substrate, and (ii) the rate of cell detachment. These capabilities have potential implications in a number of areas of biotechnology including biosensing, separations and cell culture.