Pdc 001 plasmaexpanded cleaner

Glass
slides were used as substrates for thin-film micropatterned polymers
to facilitate cellular microscopy studies. To prevent polymer delamination
from the substrate, standard glass slides (2.54 cm × 7.62 cm
x 0.1 cm) were surface functionalized with a methacrylated silane
coupling agent. The slides were first cleaned and oxidized with O₂ plasma for 3 min at 30 W RF power (PDC-001 Harrick Plasma
Expanded Cleaner, Ithaca, NY) while under vacuum. Immediately following
removal from the plasma chamber, the slides were immersed in a 1/100
v/v solution of 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate (Aldrich) and n-hexane (Aldrich) overnight in a covered container at room
temperature (∼21 °C). After removal from the solution,
each slide was rinsed with fresh hexanes and allowed to dry in a fume
hood before being placed in a sealed container. Functionalized slides
had a slightly translucent appearance following the hexane rinse.
Methacrylated slides were used immediately after functionalization
as substrates for polymerization.

Methacrylate thin
films were polymerized on functionalized glass slides to prevent polymer
delamination and facilitate the cellular microscopy studies. Standard
microscope glass slides (2.54 cm × 7.62 cm × 0.1 cm) were
functionalized with the silane coupling agent 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl
methacrylate (Aldrich). Prior to treatment with the coupling agent,
the slides were first cleaned and oxidized with O₂ plasma
for 3 min at 30 W RF power (PDC-001 Harrick Plasma Expanded Cleaner,
Ithaca, NY) while under a 300 mTorr vacuum. Following the removal
from the plasma chamber, the slides were immersed in a 1/100 v/v solution
of the silane coupling agent and n-hexane (Aldrich)
overnight in a covered container at room temperature (∼21 °C).
Each slide was then rinsed with fresh hexane and dried in the fume
hood before being placed in a sealed container. The functionalized
slides were used immediately as substrates for polymerization.