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Porous polymer monoliths: Simple and efficient mixers prepared by direct polymerization in the channels of microfluidic chips
Author(s) -
Rohr Thomas,
Yu Cong,
Davey Mark H.,
Svec Frantisek,
Fréchet Jean M. J.
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/1522-2683(200110)22:18<3959::aid-elps3959>3.0.co;2-5
Subject(s) - polymerization , polymer , materials science , azobisisobutyronitrile , chemical engineering , methacrylate , microfluidics , radical polymerization , solvent , porosity , micromixer , dodecanol , polymer chemistry , chemistry , nanotechnology , organic chemistry , composite material , engineering
Porous monolithic polymers have been prepared by photoinitiated polymerization of mixtures consisting of 2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate, ethylene dimethacrylate, UV‐sensitive free radical initiator and porogenic solvent within channels of specifically designed microfluidic chips and used as micromixers. Substituting azobisisobutyronitrile with 2,2‐dimethoxy‐2‐phenylacetophenone considerably accelerated the kinetics of the polymerization. Mixtures of cyclohexanol and 1‐dodecanol and of hexane and methanol were used, respectively, to control the porous properties and therefore the mixing efficiency of the device. The performance of the monolithic mixers has been tested by pumping aqueous solutions of two fluorescent dyes at various flow rates and monitoring the point at which the boundary of both streams completely disappears. Best results were achieved with a monolithic mixer containing very large irregular pores.