Inhibition of non-specific protein adsorption on PMMA surface: The role of surface modification

Mitigating non-specific adsorption (NSA) occurring on the surface of microfluidic devices plays a critical role in the detection of early protein biomarkers for clinical diagnosis. Surface-modified methods commonly used in the formation of microfluidic channels include BSA coating, PEG grafting, and Plasma cleaning. The surface composition and microstructure of PMMA surfaces were characterized by Fourier transfer infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angles (CA), and atomic force microscopy (AFM) measurements. The NSA on surfaces of bovine serum albumin (BSA) labeled with fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were investigated by microfluidics and fluorescence microscopy. The results showed that the hydrophobicity of the PMMA surface was enhanced after modification with PEG. We further evaluated their anti-protein adsorption properties under a mild alkaline (PH 7.4) condition, including concentration, reaction time, and sample volume. The BSA coating had the best anti-protein adsorption effect, reaching over 87.6%. The anti-protein adsorption effect of the plasma cleaning method is slightly inferior to that of BSA coating, at 86.1%, but the modification process is simpler and faster. Due to the insufficient stability of PEG, its resistance to protein adsorption decreases as the concentration increases.