Zwitterionic polymer brushes as dynamic cell-active interfaces: synthesis and characterization by imaging ellipsometry

Biocompatible interfaces based on polymers that are covalently attached to surface at one end (polymer brushes) offer several advantages in the development of cell-active platforms for in vitro assays. Robust functional surfaces are often needed for reproducible assays that can be reused for several days. In addition, switchable biointerfaces may be easily prepared by growing brushes of field-responsive polymers that can be reversibly controlled by external stimuli. In a previous study, Santonicola and colleagues showed that it is possible to modulate the interaction of zwitterionic polymer interfaces with cell-model bilayer lipid membranes by controlling the polymer architecture [4]. Here we present the preparation of brush-modified chips based on zwitterionic PSBMA for cell-active assays, and we investigate the morphology of the hydrated polymer brush interface obtained at different polymerizations conditions using in situ imaging ellipsometry.