Abstract
Fabrication of 3D microfluidic devices is normally quite expensive and tedious. A strategy was established to rapidly and effectively produce multilayer 3D microfluidic chips which are made of two layers of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) sheets and three layers of double-sided pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes. The channel structures were cut in each layer by cutting plotter before assembly. The structured channels were covered by a PMMA sheet on top and a PMMA carrier which contained threads to connect with tubing. A large variety of PMMA slides and PSA tapes can easily be designed and cut with the help of a cutting plotter. The microfluidic chip was manually assembled by a simple lamination process.The complete fabrication process from device design concept to working device can be completed in minutes without the need of expensive equipment such as laser, thermal lamination, and cleanroom. This rapid frabrication method was applied for design of a 3D hydrodynamic focusing device for synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) as proof-of-concept. The fouling of AuNPs was prevented by means of a sheath flow. Different parameters such as flow rate and concentration of reagents were controlled to achieve AuNPs of various sizes. The sheet-based fabrication method offers a possibility to create complex microfluidic devices in a rapid, cheap and easy way.
Highlights
Microanalytical systems has been developed rapidly in recent decades and offers numerous applications in different scientific and industrial areas
Except for 3D printing, layered microfluidic systems which consist of coated adhesives foils are the fastest and easiest way to fabricate microfluidic channels for most applications. 3D printed microfluidic devices are limited to straight channels and the way to remove the support material could damage the channel (Migneault et al 2009)
The difficulty in designing and fabricating 3D hydrodynamic focusing microreactor was solved by the simple assembly process of layering pre-cut PMMA sheets and pressure sensitive adhesive (PSA) tapes
Summary
Microanalytical systems has been developed rapidly in recent decades and offers numerous applications in different scientific and industrial areas. Microfluidics offer unique advantages, including high analytical throughput, enhanced sensitivity, reduced reagent volumes and they are easy to couple with analytical instruments (Cui and Wang 2019). Microfluidic chips were typically composed of silicon and glass. Glass and silicon technologies offer high precision, the fabrication methods are complex, time consuming and costly, and cleanroom facilities are
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