Mesenchymal stem cell attachment to peptide density gradients on porous silicon generated by electrografting

Abstract

Abstract Chemical gradients of ethyl‐6‐bromohexanoate (EBH) were generated over porous silicon (pSi) substrates via electrochemical attachment. Immobilised ester moieties were hydrolysed and activated to produce a gradient of functional carboxylic acid groups. After subsequent immobilisation of cyclic RGD (cRGD), the surfaces were used to screen the extent of rat mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) attachment. Mapping of surface chemistry was carried out by means of infrared microscopy and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). MSC culture studies showed that short‐term cell attachment responded to the cRGD density present on the gradient surface.