abstract
This paper describes the decay kinetics of electrically induced polarization of poly(L-lactic) acid (PLLA) via piezoresponse force microscopy. Two crystalline forms of PLLA (alpha and alpha') were electrically poled at different temperatures (room and above glass transition). Poling at temperatures above glass transition allowed obtaining polarization stable up to 10 days for both forms. This period is enough to trigger and maintain proteins adhesion and cells proliferation, if PLLA is used as a platform for tissue growth. When poled at room temperature, both structures lose polarization after a short time (minutes to hours) being polarization in alpha PLLA stable for longer time. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4729619]
keywords
STIMULATION; MORPHOLOGY; BEHAVIOR; FUTURE; CELLS
subject category
Physics
authors
Barroca, N; Vilarinho, PM; Fernandes, MHV; Sharma, P; Gruverman, A
our authors
Maria Helena Figueira Vaz Fernandes
Associate Professor
Natália Braz Barroca
PhD Student
Paula Maria Lousada Silveirinha Vilarinho
Vice DirectorGroups
2 - Multifunctional Ferroic Ceramics and Nanostructures
5 - Biomedical and Biomimetic Materials
acknowledgements
The authors acknowledge the financial support from Luso American Foundation for the Development (FLAD), CICECO, FEDER, QREN, COMPETE, and FCT. Nathalie Barroca is thankful to FCT for the support under the Grant No. SFRH/BD/47331/2008.