Novel method for NH-rich coatings engineering by means of aerosol assisted atmospheric pressure plasma deposition

Amine/amide-rich coatings possessing good biocompatibility are of high interest in the medical field. A new type of coatings with high content of NH groups has been prepared in a single step plasma process. Deposition is performed by atmospheric pressure plasma which is coupled to aerosol injection of liquid precursor. The method is applied for the polymerization of N, N'-methylenebisacrylamide precursor. The surface analyses, including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), show polymerization of the precursor with formation of amide-rich coatings with up to 8 at.% of N-containing groups. The coatings are stable in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) solution and characterized by improved biocompatibility to STEM cells. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.