Stable low-fouling plasma polymer coatings on polydimethylsiloxane

Polydimethylsiloxane (DMS) is a popular material for microfluidics, but it is hydrophobic and is prone to non-specific protein adsorption. In this study, we explore methods for producing stable, protein resistant, tetraglyme plasma polymer coatings on PDMS by combining extended baking processes with multiple plasma polymer coating steps. We demonstrate that by using this approach, it is possible to produce a plasma polymer coatings that resist protein adsorption (< 10 ng/cm(2)) and are stable to storage over at least 100 days. This methodology can translate to any plasma polymer system, enabling the introduction of a wide range of surface functionalities on PDMS surfaces. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4754600]