Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Wetting-state-dependent desorption of molten Al droplets from striped SiC surfaces under vertical harmonic vibration.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026

Same author

(Bis)methacrylamide zwitterionic dipeptide cross-linker synthesis and evaluation in polyampholyte hydrogels.

RSC advances·2026

Same author

Safety Profile of COVID-19 Vaccines in HIV Patients Undergoing ART and Their Impact on Immune Recovery and HIV Reservoirs.

Infectious diseases & immunity·2026

Same author

Lattice, Grain, and Texture: Opportunities for Performance Enhancement of Layered Oxide Cathodes Informed by LiCoO<sub>2</sub>.

Chemical reviews·2026

Same author

Hyperhomocysteinemia reduces the high-quality embryo rate in PCOS patients undergoing IVF/ICSI: clinical evidence and a preliminary exploration of mechanisms in KGN cells.

Journal of ovarian research·2026

Same author

Comparision between percutaneous transhepatic gallbladder drainage and early laparoscopic cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis in patients over 80 years Old: a propensity score-matched analysis.

BMC surgery·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Fabricating Reactive Surfaces with Brush-like and Crosslinked Films of Azlactone-Functionalized Block Co-Polymers

Fabricating Reactive Surfaces with Brush-like and Crosslinked Films of Azlactone-Functionalized Block Co-Polymers

Published on: June 30, 2018

Polymer brushes patterned with micrometer-scale chemical gradients using laminar co-flow.

Hyung-Jun Koo¹, Kristopher V Waynant, Chunjie Zhang

¹Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, and Frederick Seitz Materials Research Laboratory, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana, Illinois 61801, United States.

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

|June 25, 2014

Summary

A new microfluidic technique precisely creates narrow chemical gradients in polymer brushes. This method allows for tunable gradient formation, enabling the fabrication of advanced materials with tailored chemical properties.

More Related Videos

Micropunching Lithography for Generating Micro- and Submicron-patterns on Polymer Substrates

Micropunching Lithography for Generating Micro- and Submicron-patterns on Polymer Substrates

Published on: July 2, 2012

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: April 4, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Fabricating Reactive Surfaces with Brush-like and Crosslinked Films of Azlactone-Functionalized Block Co-Polymers

Fabricating Reactive Surfaces with Brush-like and Crosslinked Films of Azlactone-Functionalized Block Co-Polymers

Published on: June 30, 2018

Micropunching Lithography for Generating Micro- and Submicron-patterns on Polymer Substrates

Micropunching Lithography for Generating Micro- and Submicron-patterns on Polymer Substrates

Published on: July 2, 2012

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: April 4, 2013

Area of Science:

Polymer Chemistry
Materials Science
Microfluidics

Background:

Polymer brushes are versatile materials with applications in surface modification and nanotechnology.
Precise control over chemical gradients in polymer brushes is crucial for advanced functionalization.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a facile microfluidic method for creating narrow chemical gradients in polymer brushes.
To demonstrate tunable control over gradient formation and chemical properties.

Main Methods:

Utilized a microfluidic co-flow system with an alkylating agent and solvent to create diffusion-driven concentration gradients.
Employed confocal Raman microscopy for spatial characterization of the quaternization gradient.
Varied injection flow rates and co-flow junction distances to control gradient width.

Main Results:

Achieved chemical gradients as narrow as 5 μm in poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) polymer brushes.
Demonstrated tunable gradient length by controlling microfluidic parameters.
Validated experimental results with numerical calculations, confirming the reaction rate constant.

Conclusions:

The microfluidic method provides precise and tunable control over chemical gradient formation in polymer brushes.
This technique enables single-run fabrication of complex, multi-property gradients for diverse applications.
The ability to create narrow chemical gradients opens new avenues for designing functional polymer surfaces.