Plasma printing - direct local patterning with functional polymer coatings for biosensing and microfluidics applications

We present a robust and flexible approach for the fabrication of chemical micropatterns of controllable dimension, based on the deposition of plasma-polymerized (pp) polymer films by using atmospheric-pressure plasma printing. In particular, the deposition of oxygen-rich organic pp films, aimed at the immobilization of biomolecules, is discussed. The maskless, fast and eco-friendly depositions present a line resolution from 50 μm to 250 μm, and a film thickness between 70 and 600 nm depending on the applied process parameters. Physico-chemical properties –such as morphology and functional groups– can be tailored to adjust a certain chemical platform suitable for multiple biosensing and microfluidic applications. The generated pp films are characterized by a saturated aliphatic-branched polymer structure with incorporated oxygen functionalities and a sufficient level of stability in aqueous environment. Furthermore, pp films provide an excellent reactivity towards amine-bearing molecules, which is exemplarily shown for the binding of acriflavine, a fluorescent dye. [Display omitted] •Maskless deposition of plasma polymer micropatterns with linewidth resolution below 250 μm.•Plasma-printed oxygen-containing functional films are stable in aqueous environment.•Binding of Acriflavine to the micropatterns is proven by fluorescence microscopy.