The formation of an adsorbed layer of proteins normally occurs quickly when a synthetic surface is exposed to physiological media. A “soft” coating or corona of easily-exchanged proteins is thought to reside on top of a more persistent “hard” corona. The distinction between “soft” and “hard” can be imprecise, since many proteins exchange given enough time. Here, we discuss a method to rapidly induce a hard corona of serum albumin on a surface using an ultrathin polyelectrolyte multilayer with aromatic sulfonates as the terminal functional group. In contrast to surface carboxylates, sulfonates hold on to serum albumin and prevent full displacement by self-exchange or by spontaneous desorption with solutions containing high salt concentration. In comparison, surfaces decorated with carboxylate groups permit displacement of the first monolayer of adsorbed albumin, presumably allowing cell-adhesive proteins such as fibronectin to adsorb. Because of this, cells adhere and proliferate on carboxylate-terminated surfaces, including the widely-employed “tissue culture plastic.” On multilayers terminated with sulfonate, cells adhere poorly and form quasispherical clusters, which have potential for use in stem cell culture. The production of biocompatible cell-repelling surfaces has promise for preparing personalized surfaces which mirror the serum chemistry of individuals.<br/><br/><br/>

Rapid “hard” serum albumin coronas: towards personalized surfaces

Macromolecular Chemistry: The Second Century

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ACS Spring 2020 National Meeting & Expo

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.