  We focused on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) as a substrate for replication,
micropatterning, and construction of biologically active surfaces. The novelty
of this study is based on the combina-tion of argon plasma exposure of
micropatterned PDMS scaffold, where the plasma served as a strong tool for
subsequent grafting of collagen coating and their application as cell growth
scaf-folds, where the standard has been significantly exceeded. As part of
scaffold design, templates with a patterned microstructure of different
dimensions (50 x 50, 50 x 20 and 30 x 30 microns were created by
photolithography followed by pattern replication on a PDMS polymer substrate.
Subsequently, the prepared microstructured PDMS replicas were coated with a
type I collagen layer. The sample preparation was followed by the
characterization of material surface properties through various analytical
techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive
X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). To
evaluate the biocompatibility of the produced samples, we conducted studies on
the interactions between selected polymer replicas with micro- and
nanostructures and mammalian cells. Specif-ically, we utilized mouse myoblasts
(C2C12) and our results demonstrate that we achieved excellent cell alignment
in conjunction with the development of a cytocompatible surface. Consequently,
the outcomes of this research contribute to an enhanced comprehension of
surface properties and interactions between structured polymers and mammalian
cells. The use of periodic microstructures holds the potential for advancing
the creation of novel materials and scaffolds in tissue engineering. These
materials exhibit exceptional biocompatibility and possess the capacity to
promote cell adhesion and growth.
