We report the preparation of microporous functional polymer surfaces that have been proven to be selective surfaces toward eukaryotic cells while maintaining antifouling properties against bacteria. The fabrication of functional porous films has been carried out by the breath figures approach that allowed us to create porous interfaces with either poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) or 2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorostyrene (5FS). For this purpose, blends of block copolymers in a polystyrene homopolymer matrix have been employed. In contrast to the case of single functional polymer, using blends enables us to vary the chemical distribution of the functional groups inside and outside the formed pores. In particular, fluorinated groups were positioned at the edges while the hydrophilic PEGMA groups were selectively located inside the pores, as demonstrated by TOF-SIMS. More interestingly, studies of cell adhesion, growth, and proliferation on these surfaces confirmed that PEGMA functionalized interfaces are excellent candidates to selectively allow cell growth and proliferation while maintaining antifouling properties.
Keywords: antifouling surfaces; breath figures; functional polymer surfaces; microstructures; porous films; selective cell adhesive.