Quantitative and qualitative analysis of a microfluidic DNA extraction system using a nanoporous AlO(x) membrane

A nanoporous aluminium oxide membrane was integrated into a microfluidic system designed to extract hgDNA (human genomic DNA) from lysed whole blood. The effectiveness of this extraction system was determined by passing known concentrations of purified hgDNA through nanoporous membranes with varying pore sizes and measuring the amount of hgDNA deposited on the membrane while also varying salt concentration in the solution. DNA extraction efficiency increased as the salt concentration increased and nanopore size decreased. Based on these results, hgDNA was extracted from whole blood while varying salt concentration, nanopore size and elution buffer to find the conditions that yield the maximum concentration of hgDNA. The optimal conditions were found to be using a low-salt lysis solution, 100 nm pores, and a cationic elution buffer. Under these conditions the combination of flow and ionic disruption were sufficient to elute the hgDNA from the membrane. The extracted hgDNA sample was analysed and evaluated using PCR (polymerase chain reaction) to determine whether the eluted sample contained PCR inhibition factors. Eluted samples from the microfluidic system were amplified without any inhibition effects. PCR using extracted samples was demonstrated for several genes of interest. This microfluidic DNA extraction system based on embedded membranes will reduce the time, space and reagents needed for DNA analysis in microfluidic systems and will prove valuable for sample preparation in lab-on-a-chip applications.     

Controlled synthesis of fluorescent silica nanoparticles inside microfluidic droplets

We study the droplet-based synthesis of fluorescent silica nanoparticles (50-350 nm size) in a microfluidic chip. Fluorescein-isothiocyanate (FITC) dye is first chemically linked to aminopropyl triethoxysilane (APTES) in ethanol and this reaction product is subsequently mixed with tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) to yield a fluorescent silicon alkoxide precursor solution. The latter reacts with an aqueous ethanol-ammonia hydrolysing mixture inside droplets, forming fluorescent silica nanoparticles. The droplets are obtained by pinching-off side-by-side flowing streams of alkoxide solution/hydrolysing mixture on a microfluidic chip using a Fluorinert oil continuous phase flow. Synthesis in droplets leads to a faster reaction and allows drastically improved nanoparticle size uniformity (down to 3% relative standard deviation for 350 nm size particles) when compared to conventional bulk synthesis methods, thanks to the precise control of reagent concentrations and reaction times offered by the microfluidic format. Incorporating FITC inside silica nanoparticles using our method leads to reduced dye leakage and increases the dye's stability, as evidenced by a reduced photochemical bleaching compared to a pure FITC solution.     

Multistep manipulations of poly(methyl‐methacrylate) submicron particles using dielectrophoresis

A microfluidic chip for multistep manipulations of PMMA submicron particles (PMMA‐SMPs) based on dielectrophoresis (DEP) has been developed that includes four main functions of focusing, guiding, trapping, and releasing the SMPs. The structure of the DEP chip consists of a top electrode made of indium tin oxide, a flow chamber formed by optically clear adhesive tape and bottom electrodes with different patterns for different purposes. The bottom electrodes can be divided into three parts: a fish‐bone‐type electrode array that provides the positive DEP force for focusing the suspended nanoparticles (NPs) near the inlet in the flow chamber; the second is for switching and guiding the focused NPs along the electrode surface to the target area, like a flow passing along a virtual channel; and a trapping electrode in the downstream for trapping and releasing the guided NPs. According to the simulation and experimental results, NPs can be aligned along the electrode of the focusing electrode and guided toward the target electrode by means of a positive DEP force between the top and bottom electrodes, with the effects of Brownian motion and Stokes force. In order to demonstrate the sequence of DEP manipulations, a PMMA‐NP suspension is introduced to the DEP chip; the size of the PMMA‐SMPs is about 300 nm. Furthermore, a LabVIEW program developed for sequence control of the AC signals for the multistep manipulations. Consequently, the DEP chip provides an excellent platform technology for the multistep manipulation of SMPs.     

An effervescent reaction micropump for portable microfluidic systems

A water-activated, effervescent reaction was used to transport fluid in a controllable manner on a portable microfluidic device. The reaction between sodium bicarbonate and an organic acid, tartaric acid and/or benzoic acid, was modeled to analyze methods of controlling the generation of carbon-dioxide gas for the purposes of pumping fluids. Integration and testing of the effervescent reaction pump in a microfluidic device was made possible by using elastomeric polymers as both photopolymerizable septa and removable lids. These materials combined to enable facile access to otherwise gas-tight devices. Based on theoretical predictions for 0.33 mg of sodium bicarbonate and a stoichiometric amount of organic acid, the pumping flow rate could be varied from 0.01 microL s(-1) to 70 microL s(-1). The flow rate is controlled by adjusting any or all of the particle size of the least soluble reactant, the amount of reactants used, and the type of organic acid selected. The tartaric acid systems rapidly produce carbon dioxide; however, the gas generation rates dramatically decrease over the course of the reaction. In contrast, carbon dioxide production rate in the benzoic acid systems is lower and nearly constant for several minutes. Water activation and direct placement on a microfluidic device are key features of this micropump, which is therefore useful for portable microfluidic applications.     

Microfluidic Synthesis Enables Dense and Uniform Loading of Surfactant‐Free PtSn Nanocrystals on Carbon Supports for Enhanced Ethanol Oxidation

Developing new synthetic methods for carbon supported catalysts with improved performance is of fundamental importance in advancing proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) technology. Continuous‐flow, microfluidic reactions in capillary tube reactors are described, which are capable of synthesizing surfactant‐free, ultrafine PtSn alloyed nanoparticles (NPs) on various carbon supports (for example, commercial carbon black particles, carbon nanotubes, and graphene sheets). The PtSn NPs are highly crystalline with sizes smaller than 2 nm, and they are highly dispersed on the carbon supports with high loadings up to 33 wt %. These characteristics make the as‐synthesized carbon‐supported PtSn NPs more efficient than state of the art commercial Pt/C catalysts applied to the ethanol oxidation reaction (EOR). Significantly enhanced mass catalytic activity (two‐times that of Pt/C) and improved stability are obtained.     

Evaluation of continuous flow nanosphere formation by controlled microfluidic transport

Improved size monodispersity of populations of polymer nanospheres is of enormous interest in the fields of nanotechnology and nanomedicine. As such, the knowledge of exact experimental conditions for precise production of nanospheres is needed for nonaqueous systems. This work presents the use of controlled microfluidic transport methods to study the experimental parameters for fabricating nanoparticles utilizing phase inversion. We report two microfluidic methods for forming polymer nanospheres in small batches to determine the formation conditions. These conditions were then implemented to perform higher throughput formation of polymer nanospheres of the desired size. The controlled microfluidic environment in the laminar flow regime produces improved size monodispersity, decreased average diameter, and affords a greater degree of control over the nanosphere size distribution without adding surfactants or additional solvents. Experiments show a nonlinear trend toward decreasing size with decreasing polymer concentration and a linear trend toward decreasing size with increasing flow rate indicating time-course-dependent nucleation and growth mechanism of formation for the resultant nanosphere population within the range of conditions tested.     

Electrochemical deposition of Pd nanoparticles on indium-tin oxide electrodes and their catalytic properties for formic acid oxidation

Pd nanoparticles (NPs) were directly deposited on indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes by cyclic voltammetry (CV) in a bulk Pd²⁺ solution and the size of the Pd (NPs) was evaluated by SEM. The electrochemical deposition conditions of the Pd NPs were varied according to a scan rate. As the scan rate was decreased, the size of the Pd NPs increased, but the formic acid catalytic property was weakened. With regard to cycle number, with increased cycling, the size of the Pd NPs increased but the formic acid catalytic property decreased. As the conditions of electrochemical deposition were varied, the particle size and catalytic activity for formic acid were also changed.     

Microfluidic directed formation of liposomes of controlled size

A new method to tailor liposome size and size distribution in a microfluidic format is presented. Liposomes are spherical structures formed from lipid bilayers that are from tens of nanometers to several micrometers in diameter. Liposome size and size distribution are tailored for a particular application and are inherently important for in vivo applications such as drug delivery and transfection across nuclear membranes in gene therapy. Traditional laboratory methods for liposome preparation require postprocessing steps, such as sonication or membrane extrusion, to yield formulations of appropriate size. Here we describe a method to engineer liposomes of a particular size and size distribution by changing the flow conditions in a microfluidic channel, obviating the need for postprocessing. A stream of lipids dissolved in alcohol is hydrodynamically focused between two sheathed aqueous streams in a microfluidic channel. The laminar flow in the microchannel enables controlled diffusive mixing at the two liquid interfaces where the lipids self-assemble into vesicles. The liposomes formed by this self-assembly process are characterized using asymmetric flow field-flow fractionation combined with quasi-elastic light scattering and multiangle laser-light scattering. We observe that the vesicle size and size distribution are tunable over a mean diameter from 50 to 150 nm by adjusting the ratio of the alcohol-to-aqueous volumetric flow rate. We also observe that liposome formation depends more strongly on the focused alcohol stream width and its diffusive mixing with the aqueous stream than on the sheer forces at the solvent-buffer interface.     

Eco-friendly synthesis and antibacterial activity of silver nanoparticles reduced by nano-wood materials

Hydrothermal treatment of nano-structured wood, prepared by precision grinding, with cationic silver was found to give silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) of 2–40-nm size range embedded in the wood tissue. The size and distribution of Ag NPs depended strongly on the starting silver ion concentration and reaction temperature. Higher temperature tended to give larger size and wider distribution. The obtained Ag NPs were characterized using various methods, including high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, UV–visible spectroscopy, and X-ray diffraction. The antibacterial effect of the product against Escherichia coli was evaluated by static and dynamic culture experiments, revealing that the Ag NPs-loaded nano-wood materials have great promise as antimicrobial agents against E. coli.     

Controlled vesicle self-assembly in microfluidic channels with hydrodynamic focusing

Traditional liposome preparation methods are based on mixing of bulk phases, leading to inhomogeneous chemical and/or mechanical conditions during formation; hence liposomes are often polydisperse in size and lamellarity. Here we show the formation of liposomes that encapsulate reagents in a continuous two-phase flow microfluidic network with precision control of size from 100 to 300 nm by manipulation of liquid flow rates. We demonstrate that by creating a solvent-aqueous interfacial region in a microfluidic format that is homogeneous and controllable on the length scale of a liposome, we can facilitate the fine control of liposome size and polydispersity.     

Region‐Selective Deposition of Core–Shell Nanoparticles for 3 D Hierarchical Assemblies by the Huisgen 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloaddition

A method for the region‐selective deposition of nanoparticles (NPs) by the Huisgen 1,3‐dipolar cycloaddition is presented. The approach enables defined stacking of various oxide NPs in any order with control over layer thickness. Thereby the reaction is performed between a substrate, functionalized with a self‐assembled monolayer of an azide‐bearing phosphonic acid (PA) and aluminum oxide (AlO_x) NPs functionalized with an alkyne bearing PA. The layer of alkyne functionalized AlO_x NPs is then used as substrate for the deposition of azide‐functionalized indium tin oxide (ITO) NPs to provide a binary stack. This progression is then conducted with alkyne‐functionalized CeO₂ NPs, yielding a ternary stack of NPs with three different NP cores. The stacks are characterized by AFM and SEM, defining the region‐selectivity of the deposition technique. Finally, these assemblies have been tested in devices as a dielectric to form a capacitor resulting in a dramatic increase in the measured capacitance.     

Shape-controlled production of biodegradable calcium alginate gel microparticles using a novel microfluidic device

In this paper we describe a novel method of manufacturing shape-controlled calcium alginate gel microparticles in a microfluidic device. Both manufacturing shape-controlled microparticles and synthesizing hydrogel microparticles could be performed simultaneously in the microfluidic device. The novel microfluidic device comprised of two individual flow-focusing channels and a synthesizing channel was successfully applied as a continuous microfluidic reactor to synthesize gel microparticles with size and shape control. By passive control based on the microchannel geometric confinement and liquid-phase flow rates, we succeeded in producing monodisperse sodium alginate microparticles with diverse shapes (such as plugs, disks, microspheres, rods, and threads) in the flow-focusing channels of the microfluidic device. The shape and size of the sodium alginate microparticles could be tuned by adjusting the flow rates of the various streams. Further stages of the chemical reaction could be initiated by mixing sodium alginate microparticles and calcium chloride (CaCl2) solution in the synthesizing channel. The shapes of the sodium alginate microparticles could be permanently preserved by the synthesis of calcium alginate gel microparticles. The preparation conditions of size- and shape-controlled calcium alginate microparticles and influence factors were studied.     

Hyperbranched polyglycidol assisted green synthetic protocols for the preparation of multifunctional metal nanoparticles

Biocompatible hyperbranched polyglycidol (HBP) has been demonstrated to be an effective reducing and stabilizing agent for the synthesis of highly water-soluble monometallic (Au, Ag, Pt, Pd, and Ru) and bimetallic (Au/Pt, Au/Pd, and Au/Ru) nanoparticles (NPs), which provides a general and green protocol to fabricate metal NPs. The HBP-assisted reduction of metal ions follows an analogous polyol process. The reduction reaction rate increases sharply by increasing the temperature and the molecular weight of HBP. The size of NPs is controllable simply by changing the concentration of the metal precursor. High molecular weight HBP is favorable for the formation of NPs with uniform size and improved stability. By utilizing hydroxyl groups in the HBP-passivation layer of Au NPs, TiO(2)/Au, GeO(2)/Au, and SiO(2)/Au nanohybrids are also fabricated via sol-gel processes, which sets a typical example for the creation of versatile metal NPs/inorganic oxide hybrids based on the as-prepared multifunctional NPs.     

Biological entities as chemical reactors for synthesis of nanomaterials: Progress,challenges and future perspective

Synthesis of nanomaterials is being gained extensive attention in the fields of chemistry, applied physics, catalysis, drug delivery and the most important in diagnosis and therapeutic applications. Recently, many reports have been published on physical and chemical synthesis of magnetic as well as metallic nanoparticles (NPs) with viable surface functionalization, but still there is a dire need of such strategies that can combine synthetic methodology with stable surface modification found in nature. Synthesis of NPs via biological methods is the possible way to solve these barriers. However, systematized summary and outlooks of NPs synthesis via biological entities with various influencing factors e.g. temperature, pH, concentration of reactants and reaction time has rarely been reported. This review will present the distinct advantages of biological synthesis of NPs over physical and chemical methods. It will also highlight the recent progress on synthesis of NPs via various biological systems i.e. plant, fungus, bacteria, and yeast. Furthermore, it will explain various factors that control the size, shape, and morphology of these NPs. Finally, it would present the future perspectives of green chemistry for the development of nano-science and -biotechnology.     

On-chip bioorthogonal chemistry enables immobilization of in situ modified nanoparticles and small molecules for label-free monitoring of protein binding and reaction kinetics

Efficient methods to immobilize small molecules under continuous-flow microfluidic conditions would greatly improve label-free molecular interaction studies using biosensor technology. At present, small-molecule immobilization chemistries require special conditions and in many cases must be performed outside the detector and microfluidic system where real-time monitoring is not possible. Here, we have developed and optimized a method for on-chip bioorthogonal chemistry that enables rapid, reversible immobilization of small molecules with control over orientation and immobilization density, and apply this technique to surface plasmon resonance (SPR) studies. Immobilized small molecules reverse the orientation of canonical SPR interaction studies, and also enable a variety of new SPR applications including on-chip assembly and interaction studies of multicomponent structures, such as functionalized nanoparticles, and measurement of bioorthogonal reaction rates. We use this approach to demonstrate that on-chip assembled functionalized nanoparticles show a preserved ability to interact with their target protein, and to measure rapid bioorthogonal reaction rates with k(2) > 10(3) M(-1) s(-1). This method offers multiple benefits for microfluidic biological applications, including rapid screening of targeted nanoparticles with vastly decreased nanoparticle synthetic requirements, robust immobilization chemistry in the presence of serum, and a continuous flow technique that mimics biologic contexts better than current methods used to measure bioorthogonal reaction kinetics such as NMR or UV-vis spectroscopy (e.g., stopped flow kinetics). Taken together, this approach constitutes a flexible and powerful technique for evaluating a wide variety of reactions and intermolecular interactions for in vitro or in vivo applications.     

Size-dependent peroxidase-like catalytic activity of Fe3O4 nanoparticles

Peroxidase-like catalytic properties of Fe3O4 nanoparficles （NPs） with three different sizes, synthesized by chemical coprecipitation and sol-gel methods, were investigated by UV-vis spectrum analysis. By comparing Fe3O4 NPs with average diameters of 11, 20, and 150 nm, we found that the catalytic activity increases with the reduced nanoparticle size. The electrochemical method to characterize the catalytic activity of Fe3O4 NPs using the response currents of the reaction product and substrate was also developed.     

Liquid-phase oxidation of toluene to benzaldehyde with molecular oxygen catalyzed by copper nanoparticles supported on graphene

Highly-dispersed copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) were fabricated on the surface of reduced graphene oxide via direct hydrazine hydrate reduction of Cu²⁺ in aqueous solution. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope images show that the Cu NPs are distributed on the surface of graphene nanosheets, and the average particle size was about 40 nm. The Cu NPs supported on graphene have high reaction activity for the oxidation of toluene to corresponding benzaldehyde. It was found that the selectivity reached 66.5% and the conversion of toluene reached 11.5%.     

Antibacterial and Photocatalytic Properties of ZnO Nanoparticles Obtained from Chemical versus Saponaria officinalis Extract-Mediated Synthesis

In the present work, the properties of ZnO nanoparticles obtained using an eco-friendly synthesis (biomediated methods in microwave irradiation) were studied. Saponaria officinalis extracts were used as both reducing and capping agents in the green nanochemistry synthesis of ZnO. Inorganic zinc oxide nanopowders were successfully prepared by a modified hydrothermal method and plant extract-mediated method. The influence of microwave irradiation was studied in both cases. The size, composition, crystallinity and morphology of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) were investigated using dynamic light scattering (DLS), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), SEM-EDX microscopy. Tunings of the nanochemistry reaction conditions (Zn precursor, structuring agent), ZnO NPs with various shapes were obtained, from quasi-spherical to flower-like. The optical properties and photocatalytic activity (degradation of methylene blue as model compound) were also investigated. ZnO nanopowders’ antibacterial activity was tested against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacterial strains to evidence the influence of the vegetal extract-mediated synthesis on the biological activity.     

Marangoni flow-induced self-assembly of hexagonal and stripelike nanoparticle patterns

We have developed a simple Marangoni flow-induced method for self-assembling nanoparticles (NPs) into both hexagonal and stripelike patterns. First, a NPs/ethanol suspension was spread on a slightly nonwettable and a wettable silicon oxide substrate. The Marangoni flow, induced by simultaneous evaporation of ethanol and condensation of water, leads to the formation of the corresponding hexagonal distributed circular NP rings and dotted stripes. The inter-ring spacing and ring size of the hexagonal patterns can be tuned by varying the relative humidity of the N2 stream blown over the slightly nonwettable substrate. Hexagonal patterns of circular NP patches can also be fabricated by lowering the evaporation of the condensed water droplets. On the wettable substrate, complex patterns result when the humidity of the N2 stream changes.     

Green chemical synthesis of Pd nanoparticles for use as efficient catalyst in Suzuki‐Miyaura cross‐coupling reaction

Herein, we report the synthesis of tiny spherical Pd nanoparticles (NPs) by green chemical method under ambient conditions using flower extract of Lantana camara plant. The size of the Pd NPs is tunable from 4.7 to 6.3 nm by systematically controlling the concentration of either metal ions or plant extract. The synthesized Pd NPs were well characterized by different spectroscopic, microscopic and diffractometric techniques. The Pd NPs offered good size‐dependent catalytic activity in the Suzuki‐Miyaura C‐C coupling reaction under mild reaction conditions in (1: 1) water‐ethanol mixture. The catalyst is stable and exhibited excellent reusability up to three cycles of coupling reaction after which the catalytic activity decreases.