Microfluidic devices obtained by thermal toner transferring on glass substrate

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Microfluidics
• Analytical Chemistry

Background:

• Microfluidic devices are crucial for lab-on-a-chip applications.
• Existing fabrication methods, like toner-on-polyester, have limitations.
• A need exists for robust and cost-effective microfluidic fabrication techniques.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a new method for fabricating microfluidic devices using laser-printed toner on glass substrates.
• To characterize the performance and properties of these toner-on-glass devices.
• To compare the toner-on-glass technology with the established toner-on-polyester method.

Main Methods:

• Laser printing toner onto special paper.
• Transferring toner to glass substrates via heat and pressure.
• Layering multiple toner depositions for device construction.
• Characterizing toner layer porosity, mechanical stability, and electroosmotic flow (EOF).

Main Results:

• Toner-on-glass devices exhibit improved mechanical stability and heat transfer compared to toner-polyester.
• Multiple toner layers (up to four) can be achieved without specialized alignment.
• Similar toner layer porosity was observed between toner-on-glass and toner-polyester devices.
• Toner adhesion to glass is weaker than to polyester, impacting device lifetime.

Conclusions:

• The toner-on-glass method is a viable alternative for microfluidic device fabrication, offering enhanced mechanical properties and EOF.
• The glass substrate significantly influences EOF, with minimal impact from toner walls.
• Further optimization is needed to improve toner adhesion for extended device usability.