Photocrosslinkable diazoresin/pectin films – Synthesis and application as cell culture supports

Multilayer polymeric films composed of diphenylamine-4-diazoresin (DR), a synthetic polycation, and pectin (Pec), a polyanionic natural polysaccharide, were obtained using a layer-by-layer method (LbL). The films was photocrosslinked by the irradiation with 350 nm light which resulted in their stabilization against different solvents. The nanostructure of the films was studied using AFM microscopy. Irradiation of the films resulted also in the change of the zeta potential of both DR and Pec outermost layer to more negative values and in the increase of the film hydrophobicity as found from the contact angle measurements. The DR/Pec films have been shown to support cell growth and osteogenic potential of cell culture supports in tissue engineering, as found from the experiments with human bone marrow stromal cells (hMSCs).