Surface modification of polydimethylsiloxane by the cataractous eye protein isolate

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Biomaterials Engineering
• Surface Chemistry

Background:

• Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a widely used hydrophobic material in microfluidics.
• Its hydrophobicity limits applications requiring water-based interactions.
• Combining PDMS with hydrophilic materials can overcome these limitations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To modify PDMS surface properties using cataractous eye protein isolate (CEPI).
• To investigate the effects of CEPI incorporation on PDMS chemical, physical, and electrical characteristics.
• To explore potential applications of the resulting CEPI-PDMS composites.

Main Methods:

• PDMS surface modification via plasma treatment and cross-linking with CEPI.
• Preparation of CEPI-PDMS composites at three different pH levels.
• Characterization using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), contact angle measurements, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), and dielectric property analysis.

Main Results:

• Successful cross-linking between PDMS and CEPI confirmed by FTIR.
• Enhanced hydrophilic nature of CEPI-PDMS composites demonstrated by reduced contact angles.
• Surface roughness increased with CEPI incorporation, dependent on pH, as shown by AFM.
• Improved effective elastic modulus of the composites.
• CEPI-PDMS composites exhibited capacitive behavior at low frequencies and resistive behavior at high frequencies.

Conclusions:

• CEPI modification effectively enhances the hydrophilicity and mechanical properties of PDMS.
• The pH-dependent surface characteristics offer tunable composite properties.
• These CEPI-PDMS composites show promise for flexible electronic devices, including energy storage and thermo-elective switching applications.