Fabrication of albumin-micropatterned surfaces by colloidal microcontact printing technique

We report a versatile method for selective patterning of solid surfaces with albumin by a combination of microcontact printing of polymer colloids and surface charge aided protein adsorption. The technique allows formation of biocomposite arrays including colloid particles with different albumin functionalities. Micropatterns of functionalised monodisperse colloid particles were formed on the solid surfaces by using a microcontact printing method. We used polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEMs) as a coating system for poly (methylmethacrylate) acrylic acid (PMMA-AAc) patterning on glass substrate and albumin deposition onto colloid patterns by electrostatic interactions. We demonstrate that the colloid micropattern greatly improves the fluorescence imaging contrast for the deposited albumin due to its larger surface area and its immobilisation compared with patterning of albumin on a plane glass surface. This technique can be used to enhance the fluorescence imaging of biomarkers and other assays. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.