Surface modification for biomedical purposes utilizing dielectric barrier discharges at atmospheric pressure

Using dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) at atmospheric pressure, glass or polymer surfaces were equipped with epoxide groups or amino groups by plasma deposition from suitable monomers or-in case of polymers-DBD treatment in nitrogen-containing gases. Functional group densities have been estimated using absorption and fluorescence measurements or by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Amino group densities are comparable or even larger than those of aminosilylated surfaces. Fluorescence-labeled streptavidin has been used to investigate the binding capacity of surfaces equipped with covalently bound biotin molecules, starting either from epoxide or from amino groups. As an example of a Plasma Printing process, the generation of an array amino-functionalized spots, 400- m in diameter on a polymer surface by local deposition from aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane is demonstrated.