Cell patterning on a poly(N-vinyl pyrrolidone)-patterned polystyrene substrate by using ion implantation

In this study, a simple strategy for micropatterning of cells was developed by using ion implantation that does not require any harsh chemicals and complicated processes. Thin poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) films spin-coated on a nonbiological polystyrene Petri dishes were implanted with accelerated proton ions through a pattern mask and then developed with water to generate the patterns of the PVP. The results of the ATR-FTIR and XPS analysis revealed that the chemical compositions of the PVP were not significantly changed by ion implantation and thus the intrinsic biocompatibility of the PVP can be preserved. The in vitro cell culture on the patterned PVP showed selective alignment of cells on the PVP regions of the patterns and thus well-defined 100 μm patterns of the cells were obtained. These results revealed that this strategy is biocompatible and simple to use for biomolecular patterning, which can be used in further biological applications.