Addressable Protein Patterning via Switchable Superhydrophobic Microarrays

Abstract We report on a simple process to create a switchable superhydrophobic surface where the water contact angle can be switched from a superhydrophobic state (ca. 167°) to a completely wetted state (< 10°). In the superhydrophobic state, the switchable superhydrophobic surface was resistant to the adsorption of proteins. However, once converted to a wetted state, the same surface promoted protein adsorption. We have developed a novel multicomponent protein‐patterning technique based on this unique property of the switchable superhydrophobic surface. It is demonstrated that up to 100 × 100 protein spots can be created within one second. Each element on the switchable superhydrophobic microarray can be addressed individually and different types of biomolecules can be selectively deposited on the microarray without losing their activity. When integrated with microfluidic channels, the switchable superhydrophobic surface allows the parallel patterning of protein molecules to be carried out without cross contamination.