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Karel Domansky1, Daniel C Leslie, James McKinney
1Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. don.ingber@wyss.harvard.edu.
Lab on a Chip
|August 20, 2013
Summary
A new material offers an alternative to polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for microfluidic devices. This novel material avoids the absorption of hydrophobic molecules, overcoming a key limitation of PDMS for chemical processing.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is widely used for microfluidic devices due to its optical transparency, flexibility, biocompatibility, and ease of fabrication.
- A significant drawback of PDMS is its tendency to absorb small hydrophobic molecules, limiting its use in chemical processing and drug development.
- This absorption issue impedes the industrial scalability and reliability of PDMS-based microfluidic systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce and characterize a novel material as a superior alternative to PDMS for microfluidic applications.
- To address the limitations of PDMS, specifically its susceptibility to small hydrophobic molecule absorption.
- To provide a castable, optically transparent, and flexible material suitable for advanced microfluidic applications.
Main Methods:
- The study involved the synthesis and characterization of a new silicone-based elastomer.
- Material properties such as optical transparency, flexibility, and castability were evaluated.
- The absorption of small hydrophobic molecules into the new material was quantitatively assessed and compared to PDMS.
Main Results:
- The newly developed material exhibits comparable optical transparency, flexibility, and castability to PDMS.
- Crucially, the alternative material demonstrated significant resistance to the absorption of small hydrophobic molecules.
- This resistance suggests improved performance and reliability in microfluidic applications involving hydrophobic compounds.
Conclusions:
- A novel PDMS alternative has been developed that overcomes the critical limitation of hydrophobic molecule absorption.
- This material presents a promising solution for advancing microfluidic applications in chemical processing and drug development.
- The findings pave the way for wider industrial adoption of microfluidic technologies previously hindered by PDMS limitations.
