CELL-ADHESION ONTO BLOCK COPOLYMER LANGMUIR-BLODGETT-FILMS

The attachment of cells onto the surfaces of various block copolymers fabricated either as well-defined, ordered Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films, or solvent cast microphase-separated structures was studied. In general, more platelets adhered onto the multilayered LB surface than onto microphase-separated cast surfaces. Scanning electron micrographs of adhered platelets showed extensive morphological changes associated with the LB surface as compared to cast film surfaces. The morphology of adhered hepatocytes was similar for both LB films and cast surfaces. It may be assumed that the surface of a block copolymer LB film does not orient into microdomains, as in the solvent cast surfaces, and only one polymer domain interacts at the interface.