Wettable arrays onto superhydrophobic surfaces for bioactivity testing of inorganic nanoparticles

Abstract

Poly(l-lactic acid) superhydrophobic surfaces prepared by a phase-separation methodology were treated with 30 min exposition of UV/O3 irradiation using hollowed masks in order to obtain patterned superhydrophilic squared-shaped areas. These wettable areas successfully confined bioactive glass nanoparticles (BG-NPs), by dispensing and drying individual droplets of BG-NPs suspensions. The obtained biomimetic chips were used to test the in vitro bioactivity of binary (SiO2–CaO) and ternary (SiO2–CaO–P2O5) nanoparticles produced using sol–gel chemistry by immersing such substrate in simulated body fluid (SBF). From SEM and EDX it was possible to conclude that the ternary system promoted an enhanced apatite deposition. This work shows the potential of using such flat disposable matrices in combinatory essays to easily evaluate the osteoconductive potential of biomaterials using small amounts of different samples.