(3-Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) is an aminosilane frequently used in the process of

silanization Silanization is the covering of a surface with organofunctional alkoxysilane molecules. Mineral components like glass and metal oxide surfaces can all be silanized, because they contain hydroxyl groups which attack and displace the alkoxy groups o ...

, the functionalization of surfaces with alkoxysilane molecules. It can also be used for covalent attaching of organic films to metal oxides such as silica and titania.

Use with PDMS

APTES can be used to covalently bond thermoplastics to

poly(dimethylsiloxane) Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), also known as dimethylpolysiloxane or dimethicone, belongs to a group of polymeric organosilicon compounds that are commonly referred to as silicones. PDMS is the most widely used silicon-based organic polymer, as its ...

(PDMS).

Thermoplastics A thermoplastic, or thermosoft plastic, is any plastic polymer material that becomes pliable or moldable at a certain elevated temperature and solidifies upon cooling. Most thermoplastics have a high molecular weight. The polymer chains associate ...

are treated with oxygen plasma to functionalize surface molecules, and subsequently coated with an aqueous 1% by volume APTES solution. PDMS is treated with oxygen plasma and placed in contact with the functionalized thermoplastic surface. A stable,

covalent bond A covalent bond is a chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons to form electron pairs between atoms. These electron pairs are known as shared pairs or bonding pairs. The stable balance of attractive and repulsive forces between atoms ...

forms within 2 minutes.

Silsesquioxane synthesis

Octa(3-aminopropyl)silsesquioxane can be obtained in a one step hydrolytic condensation using APTES and hydrochloric or

trifluoromethanesulfonic acid Triflic acid, the short name for trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, TFMS, TFSA, HOTf or TfOH, is a sulfonic acid with the chemical formula CF3SO3H. It is one of the strongest known acids. Triflic acid is mainly used in research as a catalyst for este ...

(CFSOH).

Use with cell cultures

APTES-functionalized surfaces have been shown to be nontoxic to embryonic rat

cardiomyocytes Cardiac muscle (also called heart muscle, myocardium, cardiomyocytes and cardiac myocytes) is one of three types of vertebrate muscle tissues, with the other two being skeletal muscle and smooth muscle. It is an involuntary, striated muscle that ...

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology an ...

''. Further experimentation is needed to evaluate toxicity to other cell types in extended culture.

Toxicity

APTES is a toxic compound with an

MSDS A safety data sheet (SDS), material safety data sheet (MSDS), or product safety data sheet (PSDS) is a document that lists information relating to occupational safety and health for the use of various substances and products. SDSs are a widely ...

health hazard score of 3. APTES fumes are destructive to the mucous membranes and the upper respiratory tract, and should be used in a fume hood with gloves. If a fume hood is not available, a face shield and full face respirator must be implemented. The target organs of APTES are nerves, liver and kidney.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Aminopropyl)triethoxysilane, (3- Amines Silyl ethers