Patent ID: 8470407

Claim:
A method for applying a coating to a substrate, said method including (i) subjecting said substrate to a plasma discharge in the presence of a compound of formula (I) or formula (Ia): to form a substrate coated with reactive thiol groups, wherein X is an optionally substituted straight or branched alkylene chain(s) or aryl group(s); R 1 , R 2 and R 3 are each, independently, hydrogen, optionally substituted hydrocarbyl or heterocyclic groups, and m is an integer greater than 0; R n is a number of optionally substituted hydrocarbyl or heterocyclic groups, where n is 0-5; and (ii) following step (i), reacting at least one of said reactive thiol groups with a thiol-terminated biomolecule to form a disulphide linkage between said substrate and said biomolecule.