Recently, the unique properties of graphene have become the focal point of material science and bioscience. Potential applications of graphene for nanoelectronics, and nanocomposites have been actively pursued. However, the biological applications of graphene remain largely unexplored.
In this study, we investigate the cell culture conditions, which are exposed to graphene onto polyethylene terephthalate (PET) using human neuroblastoma cell line, SH-SY5Y. In order to evaluate the cell viability and morphology, we check the MTT assay, LDH assay, caspase-3/7 activity, and fluorescence microscopy images stained with Hoechst 33342 and Calcein AM. As a result, neuroblastoma cells exhibited the 84% growth on the graphene when compare with cell curture plate (CCPS).
We investigate the effect of cell culture conditions, using functionalized graphene sheets with oxygen(-O) or fluorine(-F) as growth surfaces. The graphene surface is treated by plasma in O2 and C3F8 gas environment to functionalize graphene surface with oxygen or fluorine. SH-SY5Y cells exhibited approximately 138% viability on oxygenated graphene sheets and 50% viability on the fluorinated graphene sheet compared with pristine graphene sheets.
SH-SY5Y cells are cultured on the patterned graphene sheets. We use the metal mask to pattern the graphene surface. The exposed area from plasma treatment is partially oxygenated and the other area is fluorinated. SH-SY5Y cells are adhered on the oxygenated graphene surface and the adhesion of SH-SY5Y cells does not occurred on the fluorinated graphene surface. Cells growth is depending on the atomic state of graphene surface.
These results show that graphene can be a good candidate for the application to the fabrication of biological sensor, biomolecules patterning, and study of cell-surface interaction.