ABSTRACT
A thin film of dialdehyde starch on polystyrene tissue culture ware as an alternative to the chemical surface oxidation modification by either corona-discharge or oxygen plasma treatment was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), infrared (IR) spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy (SPM). The starch binding sites were quantitatively estimated using a 2,4-dinitro-phenylhydrazine assay. Direct chemical coupling of the synthetic low molecular weight cell attachment peptide, GRGDSPK, to the starch reactive sites via reductive amination was demonstrated. The hybrid synthetic peptide–starch coated polystyrene surface is a viable alternative to the standard plasma oxidized, fibronectin (extracellular matrix glycoprotein) coated surface for the culture of primary anchoragedependent endothelial cells.
