Designing biocompatible spin-coated multiwall carbon nanotubes-polymer composite coatings

• Published in: Surface & coatings technology 2020-03, Vol.385, p.125199, Article 125199
• Main Authors: Maziukiewicz, Damian, Maciejewska, Barbara M., Litowczenko, Jagoda, Kościński, Mikołaj, Warowicka, Alicja, Wychowaniec, Jacek K., Jurga, Stefan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Atomic force microscopy; Ball milling; Biocompatibility; Biocompatible coating; Biomedical materials; Biotechnology; Carbon; Hydrophobicity; Microscopy; Multi wall carbon nanotubes; Multi-walled carbon nanotubes; Poly(maleic-alt-1-octadecene); Polymer coatings; Polymer matrix composites; Polymers; Polyvinylpyrrolidone; Raman spectroscopy; Single wall carbon nanotubes; Spin coating
• ISSN: 0257-8972; 1879-3347
• DOI: 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2019.125199

Composite coatings provide a promising way of in vitro cell behavior screening. Previous efforts included fabrication of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)-polymer materials, however in this work, for the first time we combined two polymers of different hydrophobic character: poly(maleic-alt-1-octadecene) and polyvinylpyrrolidone with multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) to produce composite coatings with varied hydrophobicity. Prior to their incorporation, MWCNTs were characterized using Raman spectroscopy during ball-milling procedure at different times to establish ideal fabrication conditions for their best quality. Electrostatic force microscopy was then used to look at the distribution and MWCNTs networks formation in the composite coatings. Atomic force and scanning electron microscopies were used to establish the topographical features and thicknesses of produced coatings, which varied with the content of MWCNTs. All composites as well as control pure polymer coatings proved to be biocompatible and exhibited a viability of >80% on two human cell lines: cancerous osteosarcoma (U2OS) and fibroblast (MSU-1.1) that varied by their tumorigenicity, irrespectively of the hydrophobicity of the coating. Both cell lines were further shown by scanning electron microscopy to remain in the typical morphological state with high proliferation and attachment to all formed composites. These results show the potential of formation of MWCNTs-polymer composites by facile preparation way (spin-coating) and their potential as coatings for 2D in vitro cell culture platforms. [Display omitted] •Multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-polymer composite coatings are fabricated using facile spin-coating approach.•Ball-milling process strongly affects quality of MWCNTs.•The varied hydrophobicity of the MWCNTs-polymer does not affect cell viability.