Functionalization of hybrid poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogels forEscherichia colicell capture via adsorbed intermediate dye molecule

Poly(n-isopropylacrylamide) Laponite (PNIPAM-Lap) hybrid hydrogels, which use the synthetic clay Laponite as a crosslinker, permanently adsorb cationic laser dyes out of solution. This proof-of-concept expounds on this capability by adsorbing an intermediate dye molecule and using it as the foundation for successfully conjugating microbial antibodies to the surface of a PNIPAM hydrogel. The study involves using acriflavinium chloride molecules, adsorbed by a PNIPAM-Lap hydrogel from an acriflavine laser dye solution, as an intermediate molecule to attach antibodies raised against E. coli to the hydrogel and demonstrate cell capture. Furthermore, this system exemplifies a novel biotechnological platform for greatly expanding PNIPAM hydrogels' capabilities and applicability through conjugation chemistry to surface-bound molecules. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015, 132, 41557.