Using microcontact printing to pattern the proteins on glass surface

A method for patterning Col-I protein solutions onto glass surfaces with mirco contact printing has been discussed. The stamp master was fabricated with traditional photolithography technique. To improve the hydrophilicity of the polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) stamps, the surface of the stamps was treated with O ₂ plasma. After that, the stamps were coated with an aqueous Col-I protein solution, dried in a soft nitrogen air stream and placed in a wet box to return damp for 1 min in order to gain high quality protein pattern. Then the stamps were kept contact with glass substrate for 10 s under the pressure of 50 g/cm ², which has resulted in better defined Col-I micropatterns on the surface. The result shows that the hydrophilicity of the PDMS stamp surface is improved by O ₂ plasma. After damping the stamp in a wet box, the micropatterning quality of Col-I can be significantly increased.