Investigation of cellular and protein interactions with model self-assembled monolayer surfaces

Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkanethiolates on gold have been used to investigate the effect of substrate surface properties on bacterial and blood cell adhesion in the presence and absence of blood proteins. Protein adsorption and binding strength on SAMs as well as complement activation by these model surfaces were also studied. It is hoped that information gained, regarding factors that influence biological processes, will lead to strategies for designing materials and surfaces that specifically inhibit cell adhesion and protein adsorption.;Single component SAMs of the general formula HS(CH2) 10X, where X = CH3, CH2OH. COOH and CH2(OCH 2CH2)3OH, and two component mixed SAMs created from binary solutions of HS(CH2), OCH3 and HS(CH 2)10CH2OH, were used. Adhesion was investigated under well-defined flow conditions. Adhesion was found to be higher for the hydrophobic methyl and minimal for the tri(ethyleneoxide) terminated SAM. Preincubation of the SAMs with fibrinogen led to an increase in cell adhesion for bacteria and a decrease for leukocyte adhesion. The effect of surface chemistry on protein adsorption was studied for three blood proteins, fibrinogen, fibronectin and albumin. Adsorption was found to be higher on the hydrophobic CH3 surface and lower but comparable for the other surfaces while proteins adsorbed strongly on all surfaces. SAMs were also used to evaluate complement activation by foreign surfaces. The hydroxyl rich SAMs were found to activate complement more significantly than the anionic carboxyl and the hydrophobic methyl terminated SAMs.;A surface modification was introduced to incorporate a zwitterionic phosphorylcholine (PC) group on a hydroxyl monolayer in an effort to create a biomimetic surface that could minimize cell adhesion and protein adsorption. The good antifouling properties of the phosphorylcholine modified surface led to the synthesis of a novel phosphorylcholine functionalized thiol. Single component and two component SAMs from phosphorylcholine and hydroxyl or methyl thiol solutions were prepared. XPS measurements and ellipsometry verified the presence of a monolayer. Grazing-angle FTIR results indicated that the new SAMs were not very highly ordered. Fibrinogen adsorption on the new surfaces was found to be low and the strength of adsorption was small while no leukocytes adhered under flow.