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Surface treatment and characterization: Perspectives to electrophoresis and lab‐on‐chips
Author(s) -
Pallandre Antoine,
de Lambert Bertrand,
Attia Rafaële,
Jonas Alain M.,
Viovy JeanLouis
Publication year - 2006
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/elps.200500761
Subject(s) - electrokinetic phenomena , nanotechnology , bioanalysis , characterization (materials science) , surface modification , coating , microfluidics , materials science , computer science , engineering , chemical engineering
The control and modification of surface state is a major challenge in bioanalytical sciences, and in particular in electrokinetic separation methods, due to the importance of electroosmosis. This topic has gained recently a renewed interest, associated with the development of “lab‐on‐chips” systems that extend the range of materials in which separation channels are fabricated. The surface science community has developed through the years a large toolbox of characterization tools and surface modification protocols, which is not yet fully exploited in the bioanalytical world. In this paper, we try and present an overview of these tools, in order to stimulate new ideas for improved and more controlled surface treatment strategies for separations in capillaries and microchannels. We briefly describe some physical and chemical aspects of electroosmosis (global and spatially resolved), streaming current, and streaming potential. We also review the main strategies for surface coating, and compare the advantages of physisorption, well‐organized thin self‐assembled monolayers, or conversely thick polymer “brushes”. Examples of existing applications to electrophoresis in microchannel are also given.