Design of polymeric thin films with nanovolcanoes for trapping hydroxyapatite nanoparticles to promote or inhibit cell proliferation

Abstract

Abstract Arrays of nanoscale cavities in the form of nanovolcanoes can act as traps for nanoparticles to obtain surfaces with the desired functionality. The nanoparticle trapping strategy is based on generating negative pressure inside the nanocavities and aspiration of nanoparticles from the suspension. A new approach has been proposed to prepare polymeric nanocavities and tune their geometry to increase trapping efficiency. The strategy uses microphase separation in a polymer blend and tuning the shape of polymer islands to use them as molds for nanovolcanoes by tuning the molecular weight distribution of the island phase. Tuning the silhouette of the nanovolcanoes made it possible to find a geometry that allows air storage. Hydroxyapatite nanoparticles were entrapped in the nanovolcanoes to show that cells will proliferate in the presence of nanovolcanoes with hydroxyapatite, while nanovolcanoes without hydroxyapatite will block proliferation.