Conducting polyaniline based cell culture substrate for embryonic stem cells and embryoid bodies

In this work, thin films consisting of electrically conducting polyaniline (PANI) and poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonate) (PAMPSA) have been used as cell culture substrates for embryonic stem cells (ESC) and embryoid bodies (EMB). The PANI-PAMPSA films having fibrillar morphology were electrochemically polymerized in a single-step by cyclic voltammetry from an aqueous solution containing aniline and PAMPSA. UV-visible spectroscopy showed that the PANI films were electrically conducting still at pH 10. This makes them suitable for tissue engineering applications operating at physiological pH, in contrast to the commonly used PANI hydrochloride films which loose their electrical conductivity at pH >= 4. Our results reveal that the PANI-PAMPSA films allow only for limited ESC adhesion and growth. The inhibition of the EMB growth and adhesion on the PANI-PAMPSA surface in serum-free medium indicates that it can be used as a cell-selective substrate for the growth of only some specific differentiated EMB cell types.