Soft materials
Soft materials is a general term usually used for polymeric materials, especially when dealing with materials in solution. In general, the term “soft materials” is used in literature with almost anything that can dissolve into solvents.
Typical end applications of soft materials being developed are implant coatings and implants, biodegradable materials, intelligent materials for coatings (active corrosion protection), intelligent drug dosing, targeted drug delivery, 2-dimensional cell growth matrixes and other similar areas where interaction or release of something from the material needs to be achieved. In addition, these are sometimes used as barrier coatings (gas permeation barriers), display materials, organic electronics, OLEDs, organic solar cells and in implant coatings.
Sensby SPR instruments have been used extensively in research of different nanoscale materials, such as hydrogels for contact lenses to be both biocompatible but antimicrobial and drug-loaded functional material which trigger on contact with microbes on implant surfaces. Also, the SPR method has been used to make new antifouling coating materials for marine environment to prevent algae, bacteria and shellfish attachment.
The SPR technology has been developed especially for material testing, originally in liquid environment. Experiments with biocoatings (bioresistant, biocompatible or bioactive) were performed, using the Sensby SPR technology extensively. The technology can both characterize the coating properties (up to microns in thickness, and refractive index) as well as the desired interactions, swelling or resistance of the coating.
Application of SPR in soft material research:
1. Layer-by-Layer deposition monitoring
2. Monitoring stimulus-response
3. Monitoring coating deposition (in-situ or ex-situ)
4. Calculation interaction kinetics or magnitude
5. Gas permeation monitoring for barrier coatings
6. Monitoring the formation of self-assembled layers or coatings
7. Drug release from polymer matrix
Benefits of SPR in soft materials research:
1. Water / solvent swelling does not interfere
2. Polymer thickness up to 5μm
3. Thickness and RI can be measured during the interaction of the same experiment
4. Based on theoretical dynamics
5. On-line monitoring of nanofabrication (LbL)
6. Sensitivity
7. Electrochemical-SPR combination
8. Proven peer-reviewed in LbL, LB, interaction and cellulose research
9. Sensor recycling often possible (total cost of ownership)
10. No oil, contamination free continuation to AFM, XPS, etc
11. Prism not integrated to substrate–substrate can be used after SPR measurement to measure AFM, XPS, etc.
