Generation of cellular micropatterns on a single-layered graphene film

Abstract

Micropatterns of fibroblast and hippocampal neurons are generated on a single-layered graphene substrate. A large-area (1 cm × 1 cm) graphene film on Si/SiO2 is functionalized by surface-initiated ATRP of non-biofouling oligo(ethylene glycol) methacrylate, after grafting of the polymerization initiator bearing α-bromoisobutylate via photoreaction of the perfluorophenyl azide group. The microcontact printing-assisted spatio-selective reaction, after chemical activation of the terminal hydroxyl group of oligo(ethylene glycol) in the polymeric film, is utilized to generate the patterns of fibroblast and hippocampal neurons.

Keywords: aryl azide; cells; graphene; micropatterns; surface-initiated polymerization.