Cc. Dupont-gillain et Pg. Rouxhet, AFM study of the interaction of collagen with polystyrene and plasma-oxidized polystyrene, LANGMUIR, 17(23), 2001, pp. 7261-7266
Adsorption of collagen on polystyrene (PS) and plasma-oxidized PS (PSox) wa
s investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM) as the main tool. The ex
tent of alteration produced by the AFM tip upon scanning at controlled load
ing forces in water was used to obtain semiquantitative information on the
properties of the interfacial phase. This information was completed by obse
rving the extent of reorganization of the adsorbed collagen layer after dry
ing. The PSox surface was altered by scanning at high loading force in wate
r. This behavior, which was not observed on PS, was attributed to the prese
nce of a solvated polyelectrolyte layer at the surface of PSox, as demonstr
ated by previous works. Collagen adsorbed on PS gathered together under the
action of the AFM tip while no perturbation was observed for collagen adso
rbed on PSox. After drying at low rate of a thin adsorbed collagen layer, a
netlike structure was formed on PS, in contrast with PSox. These differenc
es were attributed to the formation of a dense, mechanically strong mat of
collagen molecules adsorbed on PSox and/or to anchoring of collagen molecul
ar ends in the swollen surface layer of PSox, in contrast with PS.