Novel Thin Film Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering

自20世纪60年代以来，通过使用“冷”（热力学非平衡）低压（LP）等离子体沉积薄膜和蚀刻在信息技术中取得了突出成就。这两种方法和第三种方法，即聚合物的表面改性，现在也被用于许多其他行业。近年来，常压（AP）冷等离子体的实现取得了很大进展，主要是介质阻挡放电（DBD）的变化。除了直接使用LP和AP等离子体外，也可以通过真空紫外（VUV, λ = 200 nm）光化学来实现这一过程，因为商用（基于等离子体的）VUV源可以有效地将电能转换为短波长的光子。（单能）光化学相对于（LP-和AP-）等离子体的一个潜在优势是，前者可能导致更有针对性的反应，所需产物的产量更高。多年来，申请人实验室的所有类型（LP， AP， VUV）的研究产生了400多篇参考出版物，24项专利，并向工业转让了许多技术。他提出创新研究的重点是新型AP等离子体技术和沉积在合适基质上的有机薄膜，用于生物技术（如组织工程）应用。这种涂层必须富含某些类型的化学功能，例如伯胺（-NH2）、羧基（COOR）、羟基（-OH）或硫醇（-SH）基团，它们必须牢固地粘附在各种基底材料上，必须抵抗大气中的“老化”和水（细胞培养）介质中的溶解，以及其他标准。最后，当然，它们首先必须从培养的细胞类型中引起所需的生物反应。后一个方面要求与任何特定子项目正在处理的细胞生物学和医学科学专家密切合作。在过去十年中，申请人的实验室建立了合作网络，主要是与麦吉尔大学和蒙特利尔大学医学院的高级研究人员合作。

Deposition of thin films and etching via the use of “cold” (thermodynamically non-equilibrium) low-pressure (LP) plasmas achieved prominence in information technology since the 1960s. Those two processes and a third, surface modification of polymers, are now also being used in many other industries. Recently, there has been much progress in implementing atmospheric-pressure (AP) cold plasmas, mostly the dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) variety, for those three process categories. Beside direct use of LP and AP plasmas, it is also possible to carry out such processes by vacuum-ultraviolet (VUV, lambda = 200 nm) photo-chemistry, since commercial (plasma-based) VUV sources can efficiently convert electrical energy into short-wavelength photons. A potential advantage of (mono-energetic) photo- chemistry over (LP- and AP-) plasma is that the former may result in more targeted reactions, with higher yields of the desired products. Research in the applicant's laboratory of all types (LP, AP, VUV) above has over the years resulted in well over 400 refereed publications, in two dozen patents, and in much technology transfer to industry. He proposes innovative research focused on novel AP plasma techniques and on thin organic films deposited on suitable substrates for use in bio-technological (e.g. tissue engineering) applications. Such coatings must be rich in certain types of chemical functionalities, for example in primary amines (-NH2), carboxylic (COOR), hydroxyl (-OH), or thiol (-SH) groups, they must adhere strongly to various substrate materials, must resist “aging” in atmosphere and dissolution in aqueous (cell-culture) media, among other criteria. Finally, of course, they must first and foremost elicit the desired bio-response from the cell-type(s) being cultured. This latter aspect calls for close collaboration with specialists in the cell-biological and medical sciences that are being addressed in any given sub-project. During the past decade, the applicant's laboratory has developed networks of collaborations, mostly with senior researchers in the medical faculty of McGill and Montreal universities. In the recent past NSERC specifically included “Plasma Applications” among areas of Interdisciplinary Materials Research that possess particularly high potential for socioeconomic impact; Plasma Medicine (PM) clearly can benefit healthcare for Canadians, as it already has in Europe.