Rapid Prototyping of a Nanoparticle Concentrator Using a Hydrogel Molding Method

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Nanotechnology
• Electrochemistry

Background:

• Nanoparticle (NP) concentration is essential for liquid biopsy and analysis.
• Existing nanoparticle concentrators (NPCs) often require complex fabrication methods like lithography.
• Ion concentration polarization (ICP) offers a promising, non-invasive method for NP concentration using microchannel devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid prototyping method for fabricating NPCs using hydrogel molding.
• To demonstrate the effectiveness of ICP-based NPCs with both straight and branched microchannels.
• To evaluate the concentration efficiency for both negatively and positively charged NPs.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an extended hydrogel molding technique for rapid NPC fabrication.
• Designed and fabricated NPCs with straight and branched microchannel configurations.
• Verified ICP generation and performed NP concentration tests with varying NP charges.

Main Results:

• Achieved significant NP concentration (>50-fold for negative, >25-fold for positive NPs) in straight-channel NPCs via ICP.
• Demonstrated concentration rates of 2.0-fold (negative) and 1.7-fold (positive) in branched-channel NPCs.
• Confirmed that the rapid prototyping method yields concentration efficiencies comparable to lithography-based NPCs.

Conclusions:

• A novel, rapid hydrogel molding method enables efficient fabrication of ICP-based NPCs.
• This approach facilitates the development of advanced NPCs for liquid biopsy applications.
• The study highlights the potential of ICP in simple, rapidly produced devices for NP analysis.