Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA Biomarkers
Advanced materials could bring about fundamental improvements in the evolution of innovative analytical devices, i.e., biosensors or lab-on-a-chip devices, in particular in the context of liquid biopsies. Here, plasma deposition processes were tested for the introduction of primary amines on silicon...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Materials |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/7/2641 |
| _version_ | 1797438610141609984 |
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| author | Giorgio Speranza Gaetano Roberto Mele Pietro Favia Cecilia Pederzolli Cristina Potrich |
| author_facet | Giorgio Speranza Gaetano Roberto Mele Pietro Favia Cecilia Pederzolli Cristina Potrich |
| author_sort | Giorgio Speranza |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Advanced materials could bring about fundamental improvements in the evolution of innovative analytical devices, i.e., biosensors or lab-on-a-chip devices, in particular in the context of liquid biopsies. Here, plasma deposition processes were tested for the introduction of primary amines on silicon surfaces by tuning the amounts and availability of amino-charged residues. Different binary (CH<sub>4</sub>/NH<sub>3</sub>) and ternary (CH<sub>4</sub>/NH<sub>3</sub>/H<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub>/NH<sub>3</sub>/N<sub>2</sub>) mixtures of gases were used as feeds for the plasma treatments. The obtained surfaces were fully characterized for their chemical and physical properties before their use as capture materials in a functional test. Synthetic and fluorescently conjugated microRNA-21 (miR-21) was selected as the target molecule. The capture of miR-21 increased linearly with the increase in amino nitrogen measured on surfaces. The surface showing the most promising performance was further analyzed in different conditions, i.e., varying pH and time of incubation, incubation with different microRNAs, and possible elution of captured microRNAs. The apparent pH range of primary amines present on the surfaces was around 3.5–4. Positively charged surfaces prepared via PE-CVD were, therefore, demonstrated as being suitable materials for the capture of microRNA biomarkers, paving the way for their inclusion in biomedical devices for the purification and analysis of circulating biomarkers. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:39:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b662adce29d64ecdb39d64458195a5c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1944 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T11:39:32Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Materials |
| spelling | doaj.art-b662adce29d64ecdb39d64458195a5c52023-11-30T23:34:57ZengMDPI AGMaterials1996-19442022-04-01157264110.3390/ma15072641Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA BiomarkersGiorgio Speranza0Gaetano Roberto Mele1Pietro Favia2Cecilia Pederzolli3Cristina Potrich4Center for Sensors and Devices, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, ItalyCenter for Sensors and Devices, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, ItalyDepartment of Chemistry, CNR Inst. NANOTEC, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, ItalyCenter for Sensors and Devices, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, ItalyCenter for Sensors and Devices, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Via Sommarive 18, 38123 Trento, ItalyAdvanced materials could bring about fundamental improvements in the evolution of innovative analytical devices, i.e., biosensors or lab-on-a-chip devices, in particular in the context of liquid biopsies. Here, plasma deposition processes were tested for the introduction of primary amines on silicon surfaces by tuning the amounts and availability of amino-charged residues. Different binary (CH<sub>4</sub>/NH<sub>3</sub>) and ternary (CH<sub>4</sub>/NH<sub>3</sub>/H<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub>/NH<sub>3</sub>/N<sub>2</sub>) mixtures of gases were used as feeds for the plasma treatments. The obtained surfaces were fully characterized for their chemical and physical properties before their use as capture materials in a functional test. Synthetic and fluorescently conjugated microRNA-21 (miR-21) was selected as the target molecule. The capture of miR-21 increased linearly with the increase in amino nitrogen measured on surfaces. The surface showing the most promising performance was further analyzed in different conditions, i.e., varying pH and time of incubation, incubation with different microRNAs, and possible elution of captured microRNAs. The apparent pH range of primary amines present on the surfaces was around 3.5–4. Positively charged surfaces prepared via PE-CVD were, therefore, demonstrated as being suitable materials for the capture of microRNA biomarkers, paving the way for their inclusion in biomedical devices for the purification and analysis of circulating biomarkers.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/7/2641plasma treatmentsbiofunctional surfacesmicroRNAsbiomarker capture |
| spellingShingle | Giorgio Speranza Gaetano Roberto Mele Pietro Favia Cecilia Pederzolli Cristina Potrich Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA Biomarkers Materials plasma treatments biofunctional surfaces microRNAs biomarker capture |
| title | Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA Biomarkers |
| title_full | Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA Biomarkers |
| title_fullStr | Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA Biomarkers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA Biomarkers |
| title_short | Tuning Surface Properties via Plasma Treatments for the Improved Capture of MicroRNA Biomarkers |
| title_sort | tuning surface properties via plasma treatments for the improved capture of microrna biomarkers |
| topic | plasma treatments biofunctional surfaces microRNAs biomarker capture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/7/2641 |
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