This paper describes the formation of protein-resistant, poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (pOEGMA) thin films by helicon plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (helicon-PECVD). pOEGMA was successfully grafted onto a silicon substrate, as a model substrate, without any additional surface initiators, by plasma polymerization of OEGMA. The resulting pOEGMA films were characterized by ellipsometry, FT-IR spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and contact angle goniometry. To investigate the protein-resistant property of the pOEGMA films, four different proteins, bovine serum albumin, fibrinogen, lysozyme and ribonuclease A, were tested as model proteins for ellipsometric measurements. The ellipsometric thickness change for all the model proteins was less than 3 A, indicating that the formed pOEGMA films are protein-resistant.
(c) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009