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Interrogating Surface Functional Group Heterogeneity of Activated Thermoplastics Using Super-Resolution Fluorescence
Colleen E ONeil, Joshua M Jackson, Sang-Hee Shim1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) , Ulsan, South Korea.
Analytical Chemistry
|March 2, 2016
Summary
Super-resolution microscopy revealed uneven distributions of carboxylic acid groups on UV/O3 or O2 plasma-treated thermoplastics. This surface heterogeneity impacts electrokinetic transport in nanochannels.
Area of Science:
- Surface Science
- Materials Characterization
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Thermoplastic surface modification is crucial for tailoring material properties.
- Understanding surface functional group distribution is key to controlling surface behavior.
- Super-resolution microscopy offers unprecedented detail in surface analysis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and apply super-resolution fluorescence microscopy for characterizing surface functional groups on thermoplastics.
- To investigate the heterogeneity of carboxylic acid groups generated by UV/O3 and O2 plasma treatments.
- To correlate surface functional group distribution with electrokinetic transport phenomena in nanochannels.
Main Methods:
- Activation of thermoplastic surfaces (COC, PMMA) using UV/O3 or O2 plasma.
- Labeling of surface-confined carboxylic acids (-COOH) with a photoswitchable dye.
- Interrogation using single-molecule localization-based super-resolution fluorescence microscopy.
- Simulation of electroosmotic flow based on imaging data.
- Single-particle tracking of nanoparticles in thermoplastic nanoslits.
Main Results:
- Nonuniform distributions of carboxylic acid groups were observed on both COC and PMMA surfaces.
- The degree of heterogeneity was dependent on treatment conditions.
- COC exhibited a higher surface density of functional groups than PMMA.
- Simulated electroosmotic flow patterns reflected the observed surface heterogeneity.
- Experimental nanoparticle tracking confirmed the influence of heterogeneity on electrokinetic transport.
Conclusions:
- Super-resolution microscopy effectively elucidates surface functional group heterogeneity on activated thermoplastics.
- Surface functional group distribution significantly influences electrokinetic transport in nanochannels.
- The findings provide insights for designing thermoplastic surfaces with controlled properties for micro/nanofluidic applications.
