Functional Porous Substrates for Attaching Biomolecules

Abstract

An expanded polytetrafluoroethylene substrate comprising a microporous microstructure, an interlayer over at least a portion of the microstructure, the interlayer containing a reactive functionality, and a functional layer attached to the interlayer, the interlayer comprising a sol-gel coating or a polyvinylalcohol. The functional layer of the substrate having functional sites with a density of at least 50 nanomoles/cm 2 .

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A method of creating a functionalized article comprising the steps of:
 providing a microporous substrate having a bubble point at least 0.070 MPa, a thickness of 5 to 250 μm, and having a microstructure comprising nodes interconnected with fibrils wherein the average fibril distance between nodes is 0.5 to 5.0 μm,   depositing over at least a portion of said microstructure an interlayer comprising a reactive functionality, said interlayer comprising a sol-gel coating or a polyvinylalcohol, and   attaching a functional layer to said interlayer and reacting functional chemistries with the functionality of the interlayer to create functional sites such that said article has a functional site density of at least 50 nanomoles/cm 2 .   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said article has a functional site density of at least 100 nanomoles/cm 2 . 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said article has a functional site density of at least 500 nanomoles/cm 2 . 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said article has a functional site density of at least 1000 nanomoles/cm 2 . 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising a functionalized site density between 2,500 and 150,000 nanomoles/cm 3 . 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the interlayer comprises polyvinylalcohol. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the interlayer comprises sol gel coating. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the functional layer comprises organosilane. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the functional sites may be selected from at least one of hydroxyl groups, amine groups, carboxyl group, aldehyde groups and expoxide groups. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the microporous substrate has a thickness of 5 to 125 μm. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the microporous substrate has an average fibril distance between nodes is 0.5 to 2.0 μm. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the microporous substrate comprises expanded polytetrafluorethylene.