Microfluidic etching and oxime-based tailoring of biodegradable polyketoesters

Area of Science:

• Polymer Science
• Materials Science
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Biodegradable polymers offer sustainable alternatives in various applications.
• Fabricating microfluidic devices from biodegradable materials presents unique challenges.
• Existing methods for patterning biodegradable polymers are often complex or costly.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a straightforward, flexible, and inexpensive method for etching biodegradable polyester films.
• To enable the creation of functionalized microfluidic channels within biodegradable materials.
• To demonstrate the versatility of the etching technique for patterning and modification.

Main Methods:

• Microfluidic delivery of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) solution for local hydrolysis of poly(1,2,6-hexanetriol alpha-ketoglutarate) films.
• Utilizing the ketone group in the polymer backbone for chemoselective modification with oxyamine-tethered ligands.
• Thermally sealing etched films to create enclosed biodegradable microfluidic devices.
• Testing the technique on poly(epsilon-caprolactone) using acetone as an etchant.

Main Results:

• Successful creation of micron-scale channels in biodegradable poly(1,2,6-hexanetriol alpha-ketoglutarate) films via NaOH etching.
• Demonstration of covalent oxime linkage formation through reaction of oxyamine ligands with polymer ketone groups.
• Fabrication of functionalized biodegradable microfluidic devices.
• Validation of the microfluidic etching technique's versatility with poly(epsilon-caprolactone).

Conclusions:

• A facile and cost-effective method for patterning biodegradable polymers using microfluidic etching has been established.
• The technique allows for both physical patterning and chemical functionalization of microchannels.
• This approach facilitates the development of novel biodegradable microfluidic devices for diverse applications.