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Recent developments in PDMS surface modification for microfluidic devices
Author(s) -
Zhou Jinwen,
Ellis Amanda Vera,
Voelcker Nicolas Hans
Publication year - 2010
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.200900475
Subject(s) - microfluidics , nanotechnology , hydrophilization , materials science , microheater , surface modification , fabrication , polydimethylsiloxane , chemical engineering , composite material , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology , engineering
PDMS is enjoying continued and ever increasing popularity as the material of choice for microfluidic devices due to its low cost, ease of fabrication, oxygen permeability and optical transparency. However, PDMS's hydrophobicity and fast hydrophobic recovery after surface hydrophilization, attributed to its low glass transition temperature of less than −120°C, negatively impacts on the performance of PDMS‐based microfluidic device components. This issue has spawned a flurry of research to devise longer lasting surface modifications of PDMS, with particular emphasis on microfluidic applications. This review will present recent research on surface modifications of PDMS using techniques ranging from metal layer coatings and layer‐by‐layer depositions to dynamic surfactant treatments and the adsorption of amphipathic proteins. We will also discuss significant advances that have been made with a broad palette of gas‐phase processing methods including plasma processing, sol–gel coatings and chemical vapor deposition. Finally, we will present examples of applications and future prospects of modified PDMS surfaces in microfluidics, in areas such as molecular separations, cell culture in microchannels and biomolecular detection via immunoassays.