The aim of this study was to develop the potential tissue engineering applications of d-glucosamine (GlcN) immobilized onto the surface of a biodegradable matrix in order to induce a desired biological effect at biointerfaces. Thus, for sample preparation we used a novel multistep physicochemical approach. In the first step the poly(lactic acid) (PLA) films were exposed to a low pressure plasma in air atmosphere, followed by radical graft copolymerization with acrylic acid to yield a carboxyl-functionalized spacer layer on the PLA surface. The carboxyl groups were then coupled to GlcN molecules via the carbodiimide chemistry. The developed surfaces were characterized by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Contact angle measurements and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). A preliminary study on the proliferation of fibroblasts on the developed surfaces was performed using the NIH/3T3 cell line.
Keywords: Carbodiimide; Fibroblast viability; Plasma treatment; Poly(lactic acid); d-Glucosamine.
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