Study of the surface free energy of polymers for cell growth and adhesion

A new computation method was devised to determine the absolute value of the Lewis acid/base parameter for polar liquids and solids.; Good and co-workers have shown that the cell growth and adhesion are influenced by the Lewis acid/base parameters of the solid. We used a series of Hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA)/Ethylmethacrylate(EMA) copolymers to study how the surface free energy components affect Chinese Hamster Ovary(CHO) and Bovine Aortic-Endothelial(BAE) cell growth and adhesion. A non-zero Lewis base component parameter, $g-s>0$, is not a sufficient condition for cell growth and adhesion. CHO cells and BAE cells did not grow and adhere on the surface with $g+s>0$. Cell growth and adhesion occur only if the acidic character of the surface is negligible ($g+s\approx 0$) and the Lewis basic character is appreciable.; We studied the potential application of Poly(hydroxybutyrate)(PHB) and its copolymers for tissue engineering. The effect of serum protein on cell growth and, adhesion was also studied. CHO and BAE cells grow better on serum protein precoated surfaces. Serum protein promoted cell growth and adhesion by modifying the polymer's surface energy. CHO cells and BAE cells had optimal growth when the Lewis base parameter was in the range of 24.6 to 28.5 mJ/m 2.; An exploratory study of the effect of gas pressure on contact angle was conducted. The contact angles of water and Diiodomethane (DIM) on Poly(methylmethacrylate)(PMMA), Teflon, and 88%PHB/12%PHV were measured under five different air pressures, 1, 10, 20, 30, and 45 atm. Contact angles of both liquids decreased when the air pressure increased. However, the water contact angles on PMMA did not vary under different air pressures.