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Tailoring the wetting properties of thiolene microfluidic materials
Simone Silvestrini1, Davide Ferraro, Tamara Tóth
1Department of Chemical Sciences and ITM-CNR, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova, Italy.
Lab on a Chip
|August 22, 2012
Summary
Researchers developed a post-functionalization method to control the wettability of Norland Optical Adhesive (NOA) thiolene resins. This technique, using chlorosilane derivatives, significantly altered surface behavior for droplets and water streams, enabling passive valve functionality in microfluidic devices.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Surface Chemistry
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Controlling surface wettability is crucial for microfluidic applications.
- Thiolene resins, such as Norland Optical Adhesives (NOA), are widely used in microfabrication.
- Existing methods for wettability control may have limitations in post-fabrication applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel post-functionalization method for controlling the wettability of NOA thiolene resins.
- To investigate the impact of chlorosilane derivative treatment on NOA surface properties.
- To demonstrate the practical application of controlled wettability in microfluidic devices.
Main Methods:
- Post-functionalization of NOA surfaces and microchannels using various chlorosilane derivatives.
- Contact angle measurements to quantify changes in wettability.
- Fabrication and testing of a Y-junction microfluidic device to demonstrate passive valve functionality.
Main Results:
- Chlorosilane derivative treatment induced significant changes in the wettability of NOA surfaces.
- Altered surface properties affected the behavior of liquid droplets and streams.
- A Y-junction device successfully operated as a passive valve for water streams, confirming the method's efficacy.
Conclusions:
- The presented post-functionalization method offers effective control over NOA resin wettability.
- This technique is suitable for modifying both open surfaces and closed microchannels.
- The demonstrated passive valve functionality highlights the potential of this method in microfluidic system design.
