Surfaces of polypropylene (PP) fabrics were modified through thermal initiated radical graft polymerization with acrylic acid and poly (ethylene glycol) di-acrylate (PEG-DIA). Various polymerization conditions were studied to determine the optimal parameters leading to the best surface functionality. Carboxylic acid groups on the functionalized PP support were further derivatized for solid phase peptide synthesis. Peptide ligands LHPQF and sppLDI were successfully synthesized through simple coupling reactions utilizing Fmoc chemistry. Specific binding of Streptavidin-Alkaline phosphatase conjugate and Jurkat (T lymphoblastic) cell were successfully achieved on the novel functional PP substrates. The good geometrical flexibility, mechanical stability, chemical reactivity and biocompatibility of this novel planar support make it very promising substrate for various biotechnological applications. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.