基于表面起皱法的梯度图案的可控制备

报道了基于非刻蚀法的表面起皱机制来实现高分子薄膜表面的周期性梯度图案的简单可控制备.即对于处于机械拉伸状态的聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)弹性基底,在其底部垫入"积木",而后对其进行紫外-臭氧(UVO)和氧等离子体(OP)的联合表面处理."积木"的加入引起了表面处理后表面硅氧层(SiOx)梯度厚度的形成,进而当释放拉伸应变后,诱导产生了梯度皱纹图案.结果表明:当UVO与OP联用处理时,不仅实现了较小拉伸应变下梯度皱纹形貌的制备,而且扩大了UVO单独使用时梯度皱纹周期的变化范围.通过OP与UVO的处理顺序和处理时间等因素的简单调节,进一步实现了不同梯度皱纹微结构的精细构筑.     

Surface modification of Sylgard-184 poly(dimethyl siloxane) networks by ultraviolet and ultraviolet/ozone treatment

We report on the surface modification of Sylgard-184 poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) networks by ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ultraviolet/ozone (UVO) treatment. The effects of the UV light wavelength and ambient conditions on the surface properties of Sylgard-184 are probed using a battery of experimental probes, including static contact angle measurements, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure, and X-ray reflectivity. Our results reveal that when exposed to UV, the PDMS macromolecules in the surface region of Sylgard-184 undergo chain scission, involving both the main chain backbone and the side groups. The radicals formed during this process recombine and form a network whose wetting properties are similar to those of a UV-modified model PDMS. In contrast to the UV radiation, the UVO treatment causes very significant changes in the surface and near-surface structure of Sylgard-184. Specifically, the molecular oxygen and ozone created during the UVO process interact with the UV-modified specimen. As a result of these interactions, the surface of the sample contains a large number of hydrophilic (mainly -OH) groups. In addition, the material density within the first approximately 5 nm reaches about 50% of that of pure silica. A major conclusion that can be drawn from the results and analysis described in this work is that the presence of the silica fillers in Sylgard-184 does not alter the surface properties of the UVO- and UV-modified Sylgard-184.     

Study of ultraviolet light and ozone surface modification of polypropylene

Chemical reactions of the surface of a polypropylene (PP) film in the presence of various combinations of ultraviolet light and ozone gas (UVO) conditions were studied. Exposure of the polymer surface was carried out in a laboratory-scale UVO reactor in which the following parameters could be varied: ozone concentration, wavelength of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, pulsed operation of the UV lamps, the treatment distance between the PP film and the lamps, and water vapor concentration. Advancing and receding contact angle measurements were used to monitor surface energy changes imparted by the treatment. Two spectroscopic techniques, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR–FTIR), were used to monitor changes in the polymer surface chemistry. Oxidation of the PP surface is proposed to occur through two alternate mechanisms: (1) insertion of an O (¹D) atom to form ether linkages, or (2) hydrogen abstraction by O (³P), followed either by crosslinking or by reaction with oxygen species to form carbonyl and/or carboxyl functional groups. It was found that reaction 1 dominates initially, but that its rate is reduced by the formation of products from reaction 2. It appears that the ether functional groups produced by reaction 1 are responsible primarily for increased surface energy. Carbonyl, carboxyl, and hydroxyl groups formed in reaction 2 appear to have little additional effect on surface energy; it is proposed that these groups are involved strongly in intramolecular hydrogen bonding, thereby decreasing their availability to contribute to increased surface energy. High-energy UV radiation was found to play only a minor role in the surface modification of PP. Of the narrow range of ozone concentrations studied, no clear relationship was found to exist between ozone concentration and rate of modification of the surface; thus, the concentration of ozone must not affect the relative concentrations of products from the competing reactions. Increased surface oxidation and decreased contact angles were observed when the lamp-to-sample distance was minimized. The presence of water vapor during UVO treatment was found to lead to greater oxygen uptake after short-term treatments but did not result in increased surface energy. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 37: 2489–2501, 1999     

Covalent modified hydrophilic polymer brushes onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannel surface for electrophoresis separation of amino acids

A new environmentally friendly method is developed for preventing nonspecific biomolecules from adsorption on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surface via in situ covalent modification. o-[(N-Succinimdyl)succiny]-o'-methyl-poly(ethylene glycol) (NSS-mPEG) was covalently grafted onto PDMS microchannel surface that was pretreated by air-plasma and silanized with 3-aminopropyl-triethoxysilanes (APTES). The modification processes were carried out in aqueous solution without any organic solvent. The mPEG side chains displayed extended structure and created a nonionic hydrophilic polymer brushes layer on PDMS surface, which can effectively prevent the adsorption of biomolecules. The developed method had improved reproducibility of separation and stability of electroosmotic flow (EOF), enhanced hydrophilicity of surface and peak resolution, and decreased adsorption of biomolecules. EOF in the modified microchannel was strongly suppressed, compared with those in the native and silanized PDMS microchips. Seven amino acids have been efficiently separated and successfully detected on the coated PDMS microchip coupled with end-channel amperometric detection. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) of their migration time for run-to-run, day-to-day and chip-to-chip, were all below 2.3%. Moreover, the covalent-modified PDMS channels displayed long-term stability for 4 weeks. This novel coating strategy showed promising application in biomolecules separation.     

Decomposition processes of an organic monolayer formed on Si(111) via a silicon-carbon bond induced by exposure to UV irradiation or ozone

The decomposition processes of an organic monolayer, which was formed on Si(111) via a Si-C covalent bond, induced by exposure to UV light irradiation or ozone, were investigated using attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Exposure to both ozone and UV light resulted in a reduction of the intensities of the IR peaks corresponding to CH stretching vibration and bending scissors and the appearance of peaks corresponding to CO stretching and COH in-plane bending. The latter peaks initially increased, reached a maximum, and then decreased, indicating that the monolayer was decomposed through the formation of intermediates such as aldehyde and carboxylic acid. The monolayer was also decomposed by exposure only to UV light or ozone but more slowly as the time dependencies of the CH peaks showed. While the peaks corresponding to the CO stretching and the COH in-plane bending behaved similarly under the condition of exposure to ozone, they were not observed during decomposition induced by UV irradiation. These results show that, while the monolayer was decomposed through the formation of oxidized intermediates such as aldehyde and carboxylic acid under the condition of exposure to ozone, the decomposition of the monolayer under the condition of UV irradiation proceeded via cleavage of Si-C bonds by photogenerated electrons or holes without such oxidized intermediates. An increase of gauche defects as the decomposition proceeded was demonstrated by sum frequency generation spectroscopy.     

Masterless soft lithography: patterning UV/ozone-induced adhesion on poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces

A novel microreactor-based photomask capable of effecting high resolution, large area patterning of UV/ozone (UVO) treatments of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces is described. This tool forms the basis of two new soft lithographic patterning techniques that significantly extend the design rules of decal transfer lithography (DTL). The first technique, photodefined cohesive mechanical failure, fuses the design rules of photolithography with the contact-based adhesive transfer of PDMS in DTL. In a second powerful variation, the UVO masks described in this work enable a masterless soft lithographic patterning process. This latter method, UVO-patterned adhesive transfer, allows the direct transfer of PDMS-based polymer microstructures from a slab of polymer to silicon and other material surfaces. Both methods exploit the improved process qualities that result from the use of a deuterium discharge lamp to affect the UVO treatment to pattern complex, large area PDMS patterns with limiting feature sizes extending well below 1 microm (> or = 0.3 microm). The use of these structures as resists is demonstrated for the patterning of metal thin films. A time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectroscopy study of the process provides new insights into the mechanisms that contribute to the chemistry responsible for the interfacial adhesion of DTL transfers.     

硅铝氧化物二元包覆钛白粉颗粒的有机改性

在二元包覆SiO₂,Al₂O₃薄膜的基础上,用钛酸酯偶联剂、硅烷偶联剂及三乙醇胺、季戊四醇对亚微米TiO₂颗粒表面进行有机改性.考察了改性条件对颗粒表面改性结果的影响.通过疏水性试验和润湿性试验对改性前后TiO₂颗粒的表面特性进行了表征.高温裂解色谱、热重分析、X光电子能谱的测试结果表明,不同改性剂与颗粒表面存在不同程度的化学键合作用.分析了改性剂在颗粒表面的包覆状态与结构.     

Changes in silicon elastomeric surface properties under stretching induced by three surface treatments

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates are used in many applications where the substrates need to be elongated and various treatments are used to regulate their surface properties. In this article, we compare the effect of three of such treatments, namely, UV irradiation, water plasma, and plasma polymerization, both from a molecular and from a macroscopic point of view. We focus our attention in particular on the behavior of the treated surfaces under mechanical stretching. UV irradiation induces the substitution of methyl groups by hydroxyl and acid groups, water plasma leads to a silicate-like layer, and plasma polymerization causes the formation of an organic thin film with a major content of anhydride and acid groups. Stretching induces cracks on the surface both for silicate-like layers and for plasma polymer thin coatings. This is not the case for the UV irradiated PDMS substrates. We then analyzed the chemical composition of these cracks. In the case of water plasma, the cracks reveal native PDMS. In the case of plasma polymerization, the cracks reveal modified PDMS. The contact angles of plasma polymer and UV treated surfaces vary only very slightly under stretching, whereas large variations are observed for water plasma treatments. The small variation in the contact angle values observed on the plasma polymer thin film under stretching even when cracks appear on the surface are explained by the specific chemistry of the PDMS in the cracks. We find that it is very different from native PDMS and that its structure is somewhere between Si(O2) and Si(O3). This is, to our knowledge, the first study where different surface treatments of PDMS are compared for films under stretching.     

Controlled fabrication of hierarchically microstructured surfaces via surface wrinkling combined with template replication

In this paper,we present a simple method by combining surface wrinkling and template replication to create a series of hierarchical structures on polydimethylsiloxane(PDMS) elastomer.The primary stable lined patterns are formed by duplicating commercialized compact disk and digital versatile disk with PDMS.The secondary microscale patterns are from surface wrinkling,which is elicited by oxygen plasma(OP) treatment of the prestrained PDMS stamp followed with the prestrain release.By systematically varying the OP exposure duration,the prestrain,and the angle(θ) between the primary pattern orientation and the prestrain direction,we obtain highly ordered well-organized composite patterns from different patterning techniques and with different length scales and mechanical stabilities.     

可紫外光固化的聚乙烯基硅氮烷合成与表征

采用带丙烯酸酯基团的烯丙基溴化合物(4-溴丁烯酸乙酯)和聚乙烯基硅氮烷发生取代反应,实现了丙烯酸酯基团在聚乙烯基硅氮烷主链上的链接.采用质子核磁共振谱(1H-NMR)和二维质子核磁共振谱(2D-1H-1H-NMR)对分子结构进行了表征,采用光学差热分析仪(Photo-DSC)和傅立叶转换红外光谱仪(FT-IR)测试了改性高分子的光敏性能,用热重分析仪(TGA)分析了产物在高纯氮气氛围下的陶瓷收率.结果表明,通过分子改性,交联固化时间从改性前的20min减少到1min之内,功能化的聚乙烯基硅氮烷可以在光刻蚀工艺中作为负性光刻胶使用.     

Micellar transitions in solvent-annealed thin films of an amphiphilic block copolymer controlled with tunable surface fields

We investigated the response of symmetric poly(styrene-block-4vinylpyridine) P(S-b-4VP) diblock copolymer micelles to surface fields of variable strength at free surfaces and substrate interfaces when the micelles as spun were subjected to solvent annealing. Free surface interactions were controlled with solvent annealing in solvents of varied selectivity. On exposure to vapors of a solvent strongly selective for PS, the micelles retained their spherical shape but grew into cylindrical micelles or lamellar nanostructures via fusion on exposure to slightly selective or neutral solvent vapors. Giant 2D disks that completely wetted PS-grafted substrates resulted when spherical micelles were exposed to vapors of a highly selective solvent for P4VP. The interfacial interactions were controlled through subjecting them to UV/ozone (UVO) substrates initially coated with an end-grafted layer of short PS chains, with which the grafted PS chains became oxidized, degraded, or totally removed through UVO treatment for a controlled duration. When thin films were annealed in vapors of THF, the structural transition from spherical to cylindrical micelles depended on the interfacial field. On applying selective UVO exposure of optimal duration, we fabricated a substrate with two interfacial chemistries that promoted varied micellar species (spherical and cylindrical micelles) with a sharp boundary developed within thin films through solvent annealing for a controlled duration.     

Controlling the hydrophobicity of submicrometer silica spheres via surface modification for nanocomposite applications

We control the hydrophobicity of submicrometer silica spheres by modifying their surface with -CH3, -CH=CH2, -(CH2)(2)CH3, -CH2(CH2)(4)CH2-, -C(6)H(5), -(CH2)(7)CH3, and -(CH2)(11)CH3 groups through a modified one-step process. The scanning electron microscopy (SEM), quasi-elastic light scattering (QELS), UV-visible spectra, nitrogen sorption, and water vapor adsorption methods are used to characterize the particles. The SEM micrographs of the particles demonstrate that the modified particles are uniformly spherical, monodisperse, and well-shaped with the particle size ranging from 130 to 149 nm depending on the modified organic groups. In aqueous solution, the particles modified with phenyl groups have an obvious UV absorption peak at around 210 nm, whereas the other modified particles and unmodified particles do not have any UV-visible absorption peaks. There exist obvious differences in the amount of water vapor adsorbed depending on the type of surface functional groups of the modified particles. Compared with the unmodified particles, the modified particles have a lower water vapor adsorption because of the improved hydrophobicity of the particle surface. As a potential application, we prepared polystyrene/SiO2 nanocomposites by blending polystyrene with the synthesized particles. Water contact angle measurements show that the surface of the composite prepared with the modified particles are more hydrophobic. Confocal microscopy demonstrates that the particles are less agglomerated in the nanocomposite as the particles become more hydrophobic. These comprehensive experimental results demonstrate that the hydrophobicity of the particles can be easily controlled by surface modification with different organosilanes through a modified one-step process.     

Ni(OCH3)2/SiO2催化剂的制备及其合成碳酸二甲酯的反应性能

采用表面改性和离子交换相结合的方法，制备了负载型单核金属甲氧基配合物Ni(OCH3)2/SiO2催化剂。利用IR、TPD、TPSR和微反技术，考察了催化剂的表面结构以及CO2、CH3OH在催化剂表面上的化学吸附和反应性能。结果表明，负载型单核金属甲氧基配合物Ni(OCH3)2/SiO2中，Ni^2 与载体SiO2表面的O^2-以双齿形式配位；在催化剂表面存在CO2的桥式吸附态和甲氧碳酸酯基物种两种吸附态，CH3OH则只有一种分子吸附态。在373-473K条件下，CO2和CH3OH在催化剂上的反应物主要是DMC、H2O以及少量的CO、CH4和CH2O，催化剂的活性由表面甲氧碳酸酯基物种与分子吸附态甲醇的反应决定的。讨论了催化剂上CO2和CH3OH的活化过程及吸附态的形成机理。     

UV‐curable bismaleimides containing poly(dimethylsiloxane): Use as hydrophobic agent

The synthesis and characterization of poly(dimethylsiloxanes) bearing maleimides end‐groups (PDMSM) were carried out through imidization of maleic anhydride with three poly(dimethylsiloxanes) diamines of different molecular weights. Self‐photopolymerization of PDMSM was studied by Real‐Time Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy (RT‐FTIR) and was possible even without photoinitiator (Darocur 1173). The reaction was found to proceed within seconds upon exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation to generate highly crosslinked polymer networks. The results indicated that these polymerizations were less sensitive to oxygen inhibition than the radical processes carried out on conventional UV‐curable acrylate resins. The thermal and mechanical properties of these resulting materials were studied starting from PDMS precursors with different molecular weights. These materials exhibit a low glass transition temperature (相似文献   

Liquid phase formation of alkyl- and perfluoro-phosphonic acid derived monolayers on magnesium alloy AZ31 and their chemical properties

Alkyl- and perfluoro-phosphonic acid derived SAMs were successfully formed on Mg alloy by liquid phase method for the first time. The chemical and anticorrosive properties of the prepared SAMs on magnesium alloys were characterized using contact angle measurements, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and electrochemical measurements. Water contact angle measurements revealed that the maximum advancing/receding water contact angles of n-octyl (OP: CH(3)(CH(2))(7)PO(OH)(2)), n-dodecyl (DP: CH(3)(CH(2))(11)PO(OH)(2)), n-octadecyl (ODP: CH(3)(CH(2))(17)PO(OH)(2)) phosphonic acid, and 2-(perfluorohexyl)ethyl (PFEP: CF(3)(CF(2))(5)CH(2)CH(2)PO(OH)(2)) phosphonic acid were 105.1/64.7°, 108.3/69.6°, 111.9/75.2°, and 115.2/67.4° respectively. In the case of alkylphosphonic acid SAMs (OP, DP, and ODP), the advancing and receding water contact angles increased with an increase in the preparation time. The angle-resolved XPS (AR-XPS) data revealed that the film thicknesses of the OP, DP, ODP, PFEP on Mg alloy were estimated to be 0.8, 1.2, 1.7, and 1.1 nm, respectively. The XPS O 1s data support that the phosphonic acid derived SAM is covalently bound to the oxide or hydroxide surface of the Mg alloy in a monodenate or bidenate manner. Chemical stability of the alkyl- and perfluoro-phosphonic acid modified Mg alloy surfaces was investigated using aqueous solutions at pH=4.0, 7.0, and 10.0. The contact angles of OP, DP, and PFEP modified Mg surface decreased rapidly within the first 5 min after immersion in all the aqueous solutions and were less than 20°. On the other hand, the contact angles of the ODP modified Mg alloy after immersion in aqueous solutions at pH 4, 7 and 10 for 5 min were 45.1°, 89.3,° and 85.5°, respectively. The ODP modified Mg alloy had highest chemical stability in four types of the phosphonic acid derived SAMs used in this study, indicating that the molecular density of ODP on Mg alloy would be higher than those of OP, DP, PFEP on Mg alloy. The corrosion resistance of ODP modified Mg alloy was investigated by potentiodynamic polarization curve measurements. The ODP modified Mg alloy exhibits protective properties in a solution containing Cl(-) ions compared to unmodified Mg alloy.     

Photochemically patterned poly(methyl methacrylate) surfaces used in the fabrication of microanalytical devices

We report here the photochemical surface modification of poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, microfluidic devices by UV light to yield pendant carboxylic acid surface moieties. Patterns of carboxylic acid sites can be formed from the micrometer to millimeter scale by exposure of PMMA through a contact mask, and the chemical patterns allow for further functionalization of PMMA microdevice surfaces to yield arrays or other structured architectures. Demonstrated here is the relationship between UV exposure time and PMMA surface wettability, topography, surface functional group density, and electroosmotic flow (EOF) of aqueous buffer solutions in microchannels made of PMMA. It is found that the water contact angle on PMMA surfaces decreases from 70 degrees to 24 degrees after exposure to UV light as the result of the formation of carboxylic acid sites. However, upon rinsing with 2-propanol, the water contact angle increases to approximately 80 degrees , and this increase is attributed to changes in surface roughness resulting from removal of low molecular weight PMMA formed from scission events. In addition, the surface roughness and surface coverage of carboxylic acid groups exhibit a characteristic trend with UV exposure time. Electroosmotic flow (EOF) in PMMA microchannels increases upon UV modification and is pH dependent. The possible photolysis mechanism for formation of carboxylic acid groups on PMMA surfaces under the conditions outlined in this work is discussed.     

Identification and hydrogenation of C2 on Pt(111)

Reflection absorption infrared spectroscopy (RAIRS) and temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) were used to identify the molecular species formed upon the reaction of hydrogen with surface carbon that is deposited by exposing acetylene to a Pt(111) surface held at 750 K. At this temperature, the acetylene is completely dehydrogenated and all hydrogen is desorbed from the surface. Upon subsequent hydrogen exposure at 85 K followed by sequential annealing to higher temperatures, ethylidyne (CCH3), ethynyl (CCH), and methylidyne (CH) are formed. The observation of these species indicates that carbon atoms and C2 molecules exist as stable species on the surface over a wide range of temperatures. Through a combination of RAIRS intensities, hydrogen TPD peak areas, and Auger electron spectroscopy, quantitative estimates of the coverages of the various species were obtained. It was found that 79% of the acetylene-derived carbon was in the form of C2 molecules, with the remainder in the form of carbon atoms. Essentially all of the acetylene-derived carbon could be hydrogenated. In contrast, 85% of an equivalent coverage of carbon deposited by ethylene exposure at 750 K was found to be inert toward hydrogenation.     

Reactions of trimethylindium on TiO2 nanoparticles: experimental and computational study

This article reports the results of an experimental and computational study on the reaction of trimethylindium, In(CH3)(3), adsorbed on TiO2 nanoparticle films. Experimentally, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra have been measured by varying In(CH3)(3) dosing pressure, UV irradiation time in the absence and presence of oxygen, and surface annealing temperature on both "clean" and HO-covered TiO2 nanoparticle films. Computationally, adsorption energies, molecular structures, and vibrational frequencies of possible adsorbates have been predicted by first-principles calculations based on the density functional theory (DFT) and the pseudopotential method. Three important reactions involving CH3 elimination, CH4 elimination, and CH3 migration from the adsorbed trimethylindium have been elucidated in detail. CH(3 migration is the only exothermic process with the lowest reaction barrier. On the basis of experimental and computational results, the two sharpest peaks at 2979 and 2925 cm(-1), detected in the dosage and UV irradiation experiments in the absence of oxygen, are attributable to the asymmetric and symmetric C-H vibrations of methyl groups in In(CH3)3(a) and its derivatives, (H3C)2In(a), H3CIn(a), and H3CO(a). In the UV irradiation experiment in the presence of oxygen, the methyl groups attached to the In atom were quickly oxidized to the methoxy with the C-H vibrations at 2925 and 2822 cm(-1) and to the carboxyl group with vibrations at 2888 cm(-1) (vs(CH)), 1577 cm(-1) (va(OCO)), 1380 cm(-1) (delta(CH)), and 1355 cm(-1) (vs(OCO)). Finally, from the computed energies with vibrational analysis, the adsorbed structure of the carboxyl group was confirmed to involve two oxygen atoms doubly adsorbed on two surface Ti atoms.     

Entropically mediated polyolefin blend segregation at buried sapphire and air interfaces investigated by infrared-visible sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy

The segregation behavior of binary polymer blends at hydrophilic solid sapphire and air interfaces was investigated by infrared-visible sum frequency generation (SFG) vibrational spectroscopy. SFG spectra were collected from a bulk miscible blend consisting of identical molecular weight (approximately 54,000) and similar surface free energy (29-35 dyn/cm) components of atactic polypropylene (aPP) and aspecific poly(ethylene-co-propylene) rubber (aEPR). Characteristic CH resonances of the blend were contrasted with those of the individual components at both buried (sapphire/polymer) and free (air/polymer) interfaces. Preferential segregation of the aPP component was observed after annealing at both air/polymer and sapphire/polymer interfaces. SFG spectra revealed ordering of the polymer backbone segments with the methylene (CH2) groups perpendicular to the surface at the sapphire interface and the methyl (CH3) groups upright at the air interface. The SFG results indicate that the surface composition can be determined from the peak intensities that are characteristic of each component and that conformational entropy played a likely role in surface segregation. aPP occupied a smaller free volume at the surface because of a statistically smaller segment length (aPP is more flexible and has a shorter length). In addition, the high density of the ordered CH3 side branches enhanced the surface activity by allowing the long-chain backbone segments of aPP to order at the surface.     

Surface modification for PDMS-based microfluidic devices

This review focuses on advances reported from April 2009 to May 2011 in PDMS surface modifications for the application in microfluidic devices. PDMS surface modification techniques presented here include improved plasma and graft polymer coating, dynamic surfactant treatment, hydrosilylation-based surface modification and surface modification with nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and metal nanoparticles. Recent efforts to generate topographical and chemical patterns on PDMS are also discussed. The described surface modifications not only increase PDMS wettability, inhibit or reduce non-specific adsorption of hydrophobic species onto the surfaces in the act, but also result in the display of desired functional groups useful for molecular separations, biomolecular detection via immunoassays, cell culture and emulsion formation.