Abstract
Polyurethanes (PU) are a broad class of polymers that offer good solvent compatibility and a wide range of properties that can be used to generate microfluidic layers. Here, we report the first characterization of a commercially available Shore 80D polyurethane (Ultraclear™ 480N) for biomicrofluidic applications. Studies included comparing optical clarity with Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and using high-fidelity replica molding to produce solid PU structures from the millimeter to nanometer scales. Additionally, we report the first use of NanoAccel™ treatment in Accelerated Neutral Atom Beam (ANAB) mode to permanently roughen the surface of PU and improve the adhesion of breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) on PU. Surface energy measurements using Owens-Wendt equations indicate an increase in polar and total surface energy due to ANAB treatment. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in attenuated total reflectance (ATR) mode was used to demonstrate that the treatment does not introduce any new types of functional groups on the surface of Ultraclear™ PU. Finally, applicability in rapid prototyping for biomicrofluidics was demonstrated by utilizing a 3D-printing-based replica molding strategy to create PU microfluidic layers. These layers were sealed to polystyrene (PS) bases to produce PU-PS microfluidic chips. Ultraclear™ PU can serve as a clear and castable alternative to PDMS in biomicrofluidic studies.
Highlights
Microfluidics involves the precise manipulation of fluids at submillimeter scales leveraging fabrication technologies developed by the semiconductor and microelectromechanical system (MEMS)industries [1]
A declining interest in using PDMS for microfluidics has led to the characterization of novel declining interest in using This for microfluidics led to the characterization of novel materials for rapid prototyping
We report the first characterization of a commercially available Shore 80D PU for biomicrofluidic applications
Summary
Microfluidics involves the precise manipulation of fluids at submillimeter scales leveraging fabrication technologies developed by the semiconductor and microelectromechanical system (MEMS)industries [1]. Microfluidics involves the precise manipulation of fluids at submillimeter scales leveraging fabrication technologies developed by the semiconductor and microelectromechanical system (MEMS). A device built using microfluidic principles is commonly referred to as a micro total analysis system (μTAS) [2] or a Lab-on-a-Chip (LoC) [1]. There are certain distinct advantages to conducting experiments in a microfluidic setting rather than on the macroscale [1]. Microfluidic chips need substantially smaller sample volumes that reduce the cost of reagents. They allow simplified analysis of multiple samples in parallel to generate maximum data per batch, while providing greater control of spatiotemporal fluid dynamics. Multiple targets can be analyzed on the Surfaces 2019, 2, 9; doi:10.3390/surfaces2010009 www.mdpi.com/journal/surfaces
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