Elsevier

Applied Surface Science

Volume 310, 15 August 2014, Pages 3-10
Applied Surface Science

Biofunctionalization of surfaces by energetic ion implantation: Review of progress on applications in implantable biomedical devices and antibody microarrays

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2014.03.097Get rights and content
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open access

Highlights

  • Brief review of immobilization of biomolecules to surfaces.

  • Comparison of recently developed ion activation approaches with more established approaches.

  • Description of a model for immobilization by embedded radicals created by energetic ions.

  • Review of progress to date for applications in implantable biomedical devices and antibody microarrays.

Abstract

Despite major research efforts in the field of biomaterials, rejection, severe immune responses, scar tissue and poor integration continue to seriously limit the performance of today's implantable biomedical devices. Implantable biomaterials that interact with their host via an interfacial layer of active biomolecules to direct a desired cellular response to the implant would represent a major and much sought after improvement. Another, perhaps equally revolutionary, development that is on the biomedical horizon is the introduction of cost-effective microarrays for fast, highly multiplexed screening for biomarkers on cell membranes and in a variety of analyte solutions. Both of these advances will rely on effective methods of functionalizing surfaces with bioactive molecules.

After a brief introduction to other methods currently available, this review will describe recently developed approaches that use energetic ions extracted from plasma to facilitate simple, one-step covalent surface immobilization of bioactive molecules. A kinetic theory model of the immobilization process by reactions with long-lived, mobile, surface-embedded radicals will be presented. The roles of surface chemistry and microstructure of the ion treated layer will be discussed. Early progress on applications of this technology to create diagnostic microarrays and to engineer bioactive surfaces for implantable biomedical devices will be reviewed.

Keywords

Plasma immersion ion implantation
Plasma polymerization
Biologically functionalized surfaces
Covalent immobilization
Radical
Energetic ion bombardment
Cross-linking
Microarray
Biomedical device

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