Liposome micropatterning based on laser-induced forward transfer

The numerous properties of liposomes, i.e., nontoxicity, biodegradability, and their ability to encapsulate different biological active substances in aqueous and lipid phase, make them perfect models of biomembranes. Liposomes made up of phospholipids may be used to study new applications such as cell targeting or, under specific experimental conditions, may be applied in micro and nano-sized biosensors.This study demonstrates the capability of direct laser printing of liposomes in micron-scale patterns for the realization of biosensors or drug delivery systems.The transfer experiments were carried out onto ordinary glass substrates, and optical microscopy images reveal that well-defined patterns without splashes can be obtained for a narrow range of laser transfer fluences using 193 nm irradiation and an intermediate triazene polymer. The triazene polymer with different thicknesses was used as sacrificial layer with the purpose of protecting the liposome solution from direct laser irradiation. It was found that the thickness of the sacrificial layer should exceed 150 nm to obtain clean, debris-free patterns. Moreover, the integrity of the liposomes after laser transfer was maintained as demonstrated through fluorescence microscopy. Raman spectroscopy data suggest that the chemical composition of the liposomes does not change for transfer fluences in the range of 40 to 60 mJ/cm2.Following these results, one can envision that liposome patterns obtained by LIFT can be ultimately applied for in vitro and in vivo studies.