On-Chip Fabrication of Carbon Nanoparticle–Chitosan Composite Membrane

Abstract

The on-chip fabrication of a carbon nanoparticle–chitosan composite membrane (i.e. a sorbent membrane or a mixed matrix membrane) using laminar flow-based interfacial deprotonation technology was presented in this paper. In addition, the effects of carbon nanoparticles and reactant flow rates on membrane formation were investigated. Finally, the permeability and adsorption capacities of the membrane were discussed. During fabrication, an acidic chitosan solution and a basic buffer solution that contained carbon nanoparticles were introduced into a microchannel. At the flow interface, a freestanding composite membrane with embedded carbon nanoparticles was formed due to the deprotonation of the chitosan molecules. The membrane growth gradually stopped with time from upstream to downstream and the thickness of the membrane increased rapidly and then slowly along the reactant flow direction. The formation of the membrane was divided into two stages. The average growth rate in the first stage was significantly larger than the average growth rate in the second stage. Carbon nanoparticles in the basic solution acted as nucleating agents and made the membrane formation much easier. As the flow rate of the chitosan solution increased, the averaged membrane thickness and the membrane hydraulic permeability initially increased and then decreased. Because of the addition of carbon nanoparticles, the formed membrane had adsorption abilities. The carbon nanoparticle–chitosan composite membrane that was fabricated in this study could be employed for simultaneous adsorption and dialysis in microdevices in the future.