Surface Characterization of Polymethacrylate Coated Biochips with Water-in-Air Contact Angle Analysis

In this paper, the synthesis and development of the polymeric biochips have been described in detail. Different compositions of the copolymer poly methyl methacrylate-co-methacrylic acid poly(MMA-co-MAA) have been synthesized through free-radical polymerization reaction. Biochips aimed for virus detection have been developed by coating silicon wafers by using spin coating technique. A thin layer of coatings on the surface of biochips has been produced from polymer solution of different copolymer compositions. A detailed surface analysis of the biochips was conducted by using of water-in-air contact angle measurement in order to assess the wettability of the coated biochips. Hydrophilicity of the surfaces was further studied by conducting measurements in different pH of the solutions, which has revealed direct correlation between wettability of the analyzed platforms and the presence of carboxyl (-COOH) functional groups on the surface.