Micromolding of solvent resistant microfluidic devices.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used for microfluidic devices but suffers from poor solvent resistance and oligomer leaching.
• These limitations restrict the application of PDMS-based microfluidic devices in organic synthesis and other solvent-intensive processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid fabrication procedure for solvent-resistant microfluidic devices.
• To overcome the limitations of traditional PDMS microfluidic devices, specifically their incompatibility with non-aqueous solvents and tendency to leach oligomers.
• To demonstrate the utility of the novel devices in performing organic synthesis reactions.

Main Methods:

• Modified the standard poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micromolding procedure.
• Fabricated microfluidic devices using perfluoropolyether (PFPE) SIFEL for patterned channels and a PDMS support layer.
• Tested the chemical and mechanical stability of the fabricated devices.
• Performed an organic synthesis reaction using aggressive reactants and solvents.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated solvent-resistant microfluidic devices using a PFPE-PDMS composite structure.
• The novel devices demonstrated enhanced chemical stability, overcoming PDMS incompatibility with non-aqueous solvents.
• Oligomer leaching, a common issue with PDMS, was effectively eliminated in the new devices.
• The PFPE-PDMS devices successfully facilitated a relevant organic synthesis reaction with challenging reagents.

Conclusions:

• The developed rapid fabrication procedure yields robust, solvent-resistant microfluidic devices.
• PFPE-PDMS composite devices offer significant advantages over traditional PDMS devices, particularly in chemical compatibility and reduced leaching.
• These advancements substantially expand the application scope of microfluidic devices in organic chemistry and other fields requiring aggressive solvent use.