Non-polydimethylsiloxane devices for oxygen-free flow lithography.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Flow lithography is a key particle synthesis method.
• Current methods rely on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microchannels and oxygen permeation.
• PDMS dependence limits precursor material choices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an oxygen-free flow lithography technique.
• To enable the synthesis of complex microparticles using diverse materials.
• To overcome the limitations of PDMS-based flow lithography devices.

Main Methods:

• Utilized inert fluid-lubrication layers for oxygen-free operation.
• Employed initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) nano-adhesive bonding for device fabrication.
• Developed non-polydimethylsiloxane (non-PDMS) microfluidic devices.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized complex microparticles with sub-second residence times.
• Demonstrated on-the-fly alteration of particle height.
• Enabled synthesis using water-insoluble monomers, organic solvents, and hydrophobic entities like quantum dots and carbon nanotubes.

Conclusions:

• Oxygen-free flow lithography significantly expands microparticle synthesis capabilities.
• The new technique allows for the creation of advanced functional microparticles.
• Developed near-infrared barcoded particles for real-time, label-free analyte detection.