Oligonucleotide Immobilization and Hybridization on Aldehyde-Functionalized Poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) Brushes

DNA biosensing requires high oligonudeotide binding capacity interface chemistries that can be tuned to maximize probe presentation as well as hybridization efficiency. This contribution investigates the feasibility of aldehyde-functionalized poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) brush-based interfaces for oligonucleotide binding and hybridization. These polymer brushes, which allow covalent immobilization of oligonucleotides, are prepared by surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) of HEMA followed by a postpolymerization oxidation step to generate side chain aldehyde groups. A series of polymer brushes covering a range of film thicknesses and grafting densities was investigated with regard to their oligonucleotide binding capacity as well as their ability to support oligonucleotide hybridization. Densely grafted brushes were found to have probe oligonucleotide binding capacities of up to similar to 30 pmol/cm(2). Increasing the thickness of these densely grafted brush films, however, resulted in a decrease in the oligonudeotide binding capacity. Less densely grafted brushes possess binding capacities of similar to 10 pmol/cm(2), which did not significantly depend on film thickness. The oligonudeotide hybridization efficiencies, however, were highest (93%) on those brushes that present the lowest surface concentration of the probe oligonudeotide. These results highlight the importance of optimizing the probe oligonudeotide surface concentration and binding interface chemistry. The versatility and tunability of the PHEMA-based brushes presented herein makes these films a very attractive platform for the immobilization and hybridization of oligonudeotides.