Potassium hydroxide treatment of UV-curable polysiloxane-type polymer for reproducible enhancement of cell adhesion and survival

Polysiloxanes have shown exquisite properties for fabrication of microstructures for various biomedical and biotechnological applications. Nevertheless, their biocompatibility in terms of cell adhesion and survival ability is controversial. A simple polysiloxane modifying procedure that reproducibly enhances cell adhesion was proposed. Sonication of the hybrid organic–inorganic polymer of polysiloxane type, Ormocomp, in potassium hydroxide (KOH)/ethanol solution enhanced adhesion and subsequent survival of a panel of four cell lines. Characterization of surface properties of untreated and KOH-treated Ormocomp coatings has revealed considerable negative charge of Ormocomp substrates based on measurements of zeta potentials. KOH treatment did not modify surface morphology as visualized by scanning electron microscopy, but it resulted in alteration in both chemical composition according to SIMS analysis and hydrophilicity evaluated by static water contact angles. The results suggest that the failure of the a...