Functionalization of biomedical polymers by means of plasma processes: plasma treated polymers with limited hydrophobic recovery and PECVD of –COOH functional coatings

This short contribution is aimed to describe two plasma processes utilized at the group of the authors for biomedical applications, namely: the grafting process of polar groups intended to obtain stable hydrophilic surfaces on hydrophobic polymers, and the deposition of thin organic coatings highly functionalized with carboxylic groups. Both processes can develop cell-adhesive surfaces onto biomedical polymers. Combined with plasma deposition processes of non fouling coatings through a "physical mask", such methods can provide substrates patterned with diverse micrometric domains that can drive adhesion, spreading and growth of cells along predefined directions, an useful approach utilized in tissue engineering.