Abstract
Abstract Processing capacity and product yield of three-dimensional (3D) smart responsive carriers are markedly superior to those of two-dimensional substrates with the same compositions due to the special structure; therefore, more attempts have been made to develop the 3D intelligent systems in recent decades. A novel preparation strategy of thermoresponsive glass sphere-based composite carriers was reported in this study. First, PNIPAAm copolymers were synthesized by free-radical polymerization of N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm), hydroxypropyl methacrylate (HPM), and 3-trimethoxysilypropyl methacrylate (TMSPM). Then, the copolymer solution was sprayed on the surfaces of glass spheres using a self-made bottom-spray fluidized bed reactor, and the bonding between copolymers and glass spheres was fabricated by thermal annealing to form PNIPAAm copolymer/glass sphere composite carriers. The coating effects of PNIPAAm copolymers on sphere surfaces were investigated, including characteristic functional groups, surface microstructure, grafting density, equilibrium swelling, as well as biocompatibility and potential application for cell culture. The results show that the temperature-responsive PNIPAAm copolymers can be linked to the surfaces of glass spheres by bottom-spray coating technology, and the copolymer layers can be formed on the sphere surfaces. The composite carriers have excellent thermosensitivity and favorable biocompatibility, and they are available for effective cell adhesion and spontaneous cell detachment by the use of smart responsiveness.
Highlights
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) contains hydrophilic amide bonds and hydrophobic isopropyl groups, and the polymer chains can change significantly between hydration and dehydration with temperature changes in aqueous solutions, displaying the temperature responsiveness
In this study, combined with the preparation scheme of smart responsive planar films and bottom-spray coating technology, the synthesized copolymers were evenly coated on the surfaces of glass spheres to form thermoresponsive composite carriers, and the properties of the prepared carriers were characterized
The copolymer solution was uniformly coated on the surfaces of glass spheres by spray coating, and the PNIPAAm copolymer-glass sphere composite carriers were obtained by heating and annealing
Summary
Poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) contains hydrophilic amide bonds and hydrophobic isopropyl groups, and the polymer chains can change significantly between hydration and dehydration with temperature changes in aqueous solutions, displaying the temperature responsiveness. It is widely applied in cell culture [1,2], drug-controlled release [3,4], biosensors [5,6], and other biomedical fields. 2D temperature-sensitive substrates have limitations in applications, including small processing capacity per unit of time, low yield of target products, and so on. The current studies on the formation of smart layers on the surfaces of 3D supports are still at an initial stage, and the key issue is how to set up the linkage between polymers and substrates
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