Influence of chemistry and topology effects on superhydrophobic CF(4)-plasma-treated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)

Superhydrophobic surfaces are gaining considerable interest in a lot of different applications, and nonetheless, precise control over the wettability properties of such surfaces is still a challenge due to difficulties when controlling the effects independently induced on superhydrophobicity by the chemical and topological surface characteristics. We have fabricated engineered superhydrophobic surfaces onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) substrates by means of suitable CF4-plasma treatments. These treatments allowed the modification of both the morphological properties of the PDMS surface, due to a preferential etching of certain components of its macromolecules, and the chemical ones, by the deposition of a fluorinated layer. Chemical effects were separated from topological ones by performing a double replica molding process of the CF4-plasma-treated surfaces. This allowed us to obtain positive copies of the structured surfaces without the overlaying fluorinated coating affecting the surface chemistry. Such replicated surfaces showed a decrease of the contact angle if compared to the treated ones and therefore evidenced chemistry's weight in superhydrophobicity effects. In particular, we found that, for highly dense columnar-like PDMS microstructures, the effect of the plasma-deposited fluorinated layer covering surfaces produces an enhancement of the contact angle of about 20 degrees .     

Reactions of antimicrobial species to imidazole-microwave plasma reacted poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces

Microwave plasma reactions of imidazole, 2-methylimidazole, and 2-ethylimidazole on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces resulted in the formation of species containing conjugated surface domains which can be utilized for further reactions. When imidazole and its derivatives were used, polymerization of imidazole and the formation of C=C and CN conjugated species occurred. However, the extent of reactions for each monomer depends on not only the reaction time but also the molecular structure. For methyl- and ethyl-substituted imidazole, more stable radical species are generated and sustain their excited state in the high-energy plasma environments. Specifically, dehydrogenated 2-methyl, 2-ethylimidazole radicals and (*)N=CR-NH(*) (R = -CH(3), -CH(2)CH(3)) species exhibit higher stability than dehydrogenated imidazole radicals and (*)N=CH-NH(*) species under plasma reaction conditions. Such prepared surfaces are capable of attaching antimicrobial drugs via the Pinner synthesis. These studies show that it is possible to react antimicrobial species such as chloramphenicol, and this promising approach offers numerous applications of microwave plasma reactions in biotechnology. Quantitative analysis of the depth of surface reactions was accomplished by using variable angle ATR FT-IR 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.     

The effect of compatibilization and rheological properties of polystyrene and poly(dimethylsiloxane) on phase structure of polystyrene/poly(dimethylsiloxane) blends

The compatibilization effect of polystyrene (PS)‐poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) diblock copolymer (PS‐b‐PDMS) and the effect of rheological properties of PS and PDMS on phase structure of PS/PDMS blends were investigated using a selective extraction technique and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dual‐phase continuity of PS/PDMS blends takes place in a wide composition range. The formation and the onset of a cocontinuous phase structure largely depend on blend composition, viscosity ratio of the constituent components, and addition of diblock copolymers. The width of the concentration region of the cocontinuous structure is narrowed with increasing the viscosity ratio of the blends and in the presence of the small amount diblock copolymers. Quiescent annealing shifts the onset values of continuity. The experimental results are compared with the volume fraction of phase inversion calculated with various theoretical models, but none of the models can account quantitatively for the observed data. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 42: 898–913, 2004     

In-situ synthesis of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-gold nanoparticles composite films and its application in microfluidic systems

We presented a simple approach for in-situ synthesis of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS)-gold nanoparticles composite film based on the special characteristics of PDMS itself. It is an environmentally safe synthesis method without the requirement of additional reducing/stabilizing agents. The region where the resulting gold nanoparticles distribute (in the matrix or on the surface of the polymer) and the size of the nanoparticles, as well as the colour of the free-standing films, can be simply controlled by adjusting the ratio of curing agent and the PDMS monomer. The chemical and optical properties of these composite films were studied. Using such a method, gold nanoparticle micropatterns on PDMS surfaces can be performed. And based on the gold nanoparticles micropattern, further modification with antibodies, antigens, enzymes and other biomolecules can be achieved. To verify this ability, an immobilized glucose oxidase (GOx) reactor in microchannels was built and its performance was studied. The experiments have shown that the resulting composite film may have a lot of potential merits in protein immobilization, immunoassays and other biochemical analysis on PDMS microchips.     

Patterning microbeads inside poly(dimethylsiloxane) microfluidic channels and its application for immobilized microfluidic enzyme reactors

We propose a convenient and reliable approach for immobilizing microbeads on poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchips. It is built upon a simple fabrication procedure of PDMS chip through directly printing the master with an office laser printer which was described in our previous work (J. Chromatogr. A 2005, 1089, 270-275). On the printed toners used as the positive relief of the master, microbeads were immobilized by a thermal treatment and then transferred to the surface of the microchip by direct molding of the prepolymer on the master. With this approach, the region-selective immobilization of microbeads and the fabrication of PDMS microchips can be accomplished at the same time. Then, using these microbeads as supports, further modification with enzyme was achieved. Surface characteristics of the microbeads-modified PDMS microchannels were investigated with scanning electron microscope, atomic force microscope, and inverse fluorescence microscope. The electrokinetic properties of the native PDMS and the modified PDMS chips were also compared. Based on this approach, an immobilized glucose oxidase (GOD) reactor was constructed and the reaction using glucose as substrate was studied. All these experiments aim to show that the proposed approach may have a good potential in the study of biochemistry and other related areas.     

Connecting the wetting and rheological behaviors of poly(dimethylsiloxane)-grafted silica spheres in poly(dimethylsiloxane) melts

Using dynamic light scattering, mechanical rheometry, and visual observation, the static wetting behavior of PDMS-grafted silica spheres (PDMS-g-silica) in PDMS melts is related to their rheology. A phase diagram is mapped out for a constant grafted chain length as a function of grafting density and free polymer chain length. The transition between stable and aggregated regions is determined optically and with dynamic light scattering. It is associated with a first-order wetting transition. In the stable region Newtonian behavior is observed for semidilute suspensions. The hydrodynamic brush thicknesses, deduced from viscosity measurements, correspond closely to values obtained from self-consistent field calculations for the various parameter values. At the transition, the brush collapses suddenly and shear-thinning and thixotropy appear. The rheology indicates a degree of aggregation that increases with increasing length of the free polymer, as suggested by the theory.     

Nanoscale hydrophobic recovery: A chemical force microscopy study of UV/ozone-treated cross-linked poly(dimethylsiloxane)

Chemical force microscopy (CFM) in water was used to map the surface hydrophobicity of UV/ozone-treated poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS; Sylgard 184) as a function of the storage/recovery time. In addition to CFM pull-off force mapping, we applied indentation mapping to probe the changes in the normalized modulus. These experiments were complemented by results on surface properties assessed on the micrometer scale by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and water contact-angle measurements. Exposure times of < or = 30 min resulted in laterally homogeneously oxidized surfaces, which are characterized by an increased modulus and a high segmental mobility of PDMS. As detected on a sub-50-nm level, the subsequent "hydrophobic recovery" was characterized by a gradual increase in the pull-off forces and a decrease in the normalized modulus, approaching the values of unexposed PDMS after 8-50 days. Lateral imaging on briefly exposed PDMS showed the appearance of liquid PDMS in the form of droplets with an increasing recovery time. Longer exposure times (60 min) led to the formation of a hydrophilic silica-like surface layer. Under these conditions, a gradual surface reconstruction within the silica-like layer occurred with time after exposure, where a hydrophilic SiOx-enriched phase formed < 100-nm-sized domains, surrounded by a more hydrophobic matrix with lower normalized modulus. These results provide new insights into the lateral homogeneity of oxidized PDMS with a resolution in the sub-50-nm range.     

聚(4-乙烯基吡啶)的合成及其在染料敏化太阳电池中的应用

采用自由基聚合法合成了聚(4-乙烯基吡啶)(P4VP),并用于制备染料敏化太阳电池的凝胶电介质.研究了P4VP含量对电解质和太阳电池性能的影响.结果表明,以P4VP为骨架通过化学交联固化液态电解质制备的有机胶体电解质体系有机相可溶剂化Li ,当其含量为7.5wt%时体系离子电导率可达5.77mS/cm与液态电解质相当.利用这种准固态电解质制备的敏化太阳电池在100mW/cm2,25℃下获得光电转换效率2.3%.     

Strain- and temperature-induced polymorphism of poly(dimethylsiloxane)

Phase behavior of silica-filled poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) network was investigated by wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) under various strain ratio between room temperature and ?100 °C, and anomalous polymorphic behavior was discovered. At room temperature, when sufficient strain was applied, PDMS network was found to transform into the mesomorphic phase from which only a pair of sharp equatorial reflections and faint meridional scattering were obtained in the WAXD pattern. At low temperature, PDMS network crystallized into one of three different crystal forms according to strain ratio. These crystal forms were denoted as α, transient, and β forms in the descending order of corresponding strain ratio. The mesomorphic phase at room temperature transformed into the crystalline α form by reducing temperature. There was an anomalous feature about the transition of the crystalline forms that the position of reflections in the WAXD pattern changed continuously and reversibly with strain between the α and the β forms through the transient form, while keeping the diffraction angles almost unchanged.     

Electrokinetic characterization of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannels

This paper characterizes the basic electrokinetic phenomena occurring within native poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchannels. Using simple buffers and current measurements, current density and electroosmosis data were determined in trapezoidal, reversibly sealed PDMS/PDMS and hybrid PDMS/glass channels with a cross-sectional area of 1035.5 microm(2) and about 6 cm length. This data was then compared to that obtained in an air-thermostated 50 microm inner diameter (1963.5 microm(2) cross-sectional area) fused-silica (FS) capillary of 70 cm length. Having a pH 7.8 buffer with an ionic strength (I) of 90 mM, Ohms's law was observed in the microchannels with electric field strengths of up to about 420 V/cm, which is about twice as high as for the FS capillary. The electroosmotic mobility (micro(EO)) in PDMS and FS is shown to exhibit the same general dependences on I and pH. For all configurations tested, the experimentally determined micro(EO) values were found to correlate well with the relationship micro(EO) = a + b log(I), where a and b are coefficients that are determined via nonlinear regression analysis. Electroosmotic fluid pumping in native PDMS also follows a pH dependence that can be estimated with a model based upon the ionization of silanol. Compared to FS, however, the magnitude of the electroosmotic flow in native PDMS is 50-70% smaller over the entire pH range and is difficult to maintain at acidic pH values. Thus, the origin of the negative charge at the inner wall of PDMS, glass, and FS appears to be similar but the density is lower for PDMS than for glass and FS.     

Surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannels

This review looks at the efforts that are being made to modify the surface of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchannels, in order to enhance applicability in the field of microfluidics. Many surface modifications of PDMS have been performed for electrophoretic separations, but new modifications are being done for emerging applications such as heterogeneous immunoassays and cell-based bioassays. These new modification techniques are powerful because they impart biospecificity to the microchannel surfaces and reduce protein adsorption. Most of these applications require the use of aqueous or polar solvents, which makes surface modification a very important topic.     

Infrared characterization of poly(vinyl cinnamate) and its blends with poly(4-vinyl phenol) before and after UV exposure

The results of an infrared spectroscopic characterization of poly(vinyl cinnamate) (PVCIN) and its blends with poly(4-vinyl phenol) (PVPh) are reported before and after photo-crosslinking the PVCIN by exposure to UV radiation. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate methodology, and it is shown that quantitative analysis of the fraction of unsaturated ( CC ) double bonds, “free” (non-hydrogen bonded) and hydrogen bonded unsaturated ( CO CC ) and saturated ( CO C C ) acetoxy carbonyl groups is feasible in these blends as a function of UV exposure time. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 36: 1579–1590, 1998     

Immobilization of DNA onto poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces and application to a microelectrochemical enzyme-amplified DNA hybridization assay

This paper describes immobilization of DNA onto the interior walls of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microsystems and its application to an enzyme-amplified electrochemical DNA assay. DNA immobilization was carried out by silanization of the PDMS surface with 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane to yield a thiol-terminated surface. 5'-acrylamide-modified DNA reacts with the pendant thiol groups to yield DNA-modified PDMS. Surface-immobilized DNA oligos serve as capture probes for target DNA. Biotin-labeled target DNA hybridizes to the PDMS-immobilized capture DNA, and subsequent introduction of alkaline phosphatase (AP) conjugated to streptavidin results in attachment of the enzyme to hybridized DNA. Electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization benefits from enzyme amplification. Specifically, AP converts electroinactive p-aminophenyl phosphate to electroactive p-aminophenol, which is detected using an indium tin oxide interdigitated array (IDA) electrode. The IDA electrode eliminates the need for a reference electrode and provides a steady-state current that is related to the concentration of hybridized DNA. At present, the limit of detection of the DNA target is 1 nM in a volume of 20 nL, which corresponds to 20 attomoles of DNA.     

Simple poly(dimethylsiloxane) surface modification to control cell adhesion

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) has a long history of exploitation in a variety of biological and medical applications. Particularly in the past decade, PDMS has attracted interest as a material for the fabrication of microfluidic biochip. The control of cell adhesion on a PDMS surface is important in many microfluidic applications such as cell culture or cell‐based chemicals/drug testing. Unlike many complicated approaches, this study reports simple methods of PDMS surface modification to effectively inhibit or conversely enhance cell adhesion on a PDMS surface using Pluronic surfactant solution and poly‐L ‐lysine, respectively. This research basically succeeded our prior work to further confirm the long‐term capability of 3% Pluronic F68 surfactant to suppress cell adhesion on a PDMS surface over a 6‐day cell culture. Microscopic observation showed that the treated PDMS surface created an unfavorable interface, where chondrocytes seemed to clump together on day 2 and 6 after chondrocyte seeding, and there was no sign of chondrocyte spreading. On the opposite side, results demonstrated that the poly‐L ‐lysine‐treated surface significantly increased fibroblast adhesion by 32% in contrast to the untreated PDMS, which is comparable to the commercial cell‐culture‐grade microplate. However, fibronectin treatment did not have such an effect. All these fundamental information is found useful for any PDMS‐related application. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stability of filled poly(dimethylsiloxane) and poly(diphenylsiloxane-co-dimethylsiloxane) elastomers to cyclic stress at elevated temperature

The response of aluminum oxide-filled poly(dimethyl siloxane) and poly(diphenylsiloxane-co-dimethylsiloxane) elastomers, containing 3–24 mol % diphenylsiloxane, to cyclic stress at elevated temperatures (dynamic creep) was evaluated. The materials could be divided into two classes, based on their response to the application of cyclic stress: no or low-diphenylsiloxane content elastomers in which substantial creep and a decrease in crosslink density were observed, and high diphenylsiloxane content (16–24 mol %) elastomers that showed decreased creep with increasing diphenylsiloxane content and an increase in crosslink density. It was suggested that the phenyl groups stabilize the siloxane bond in the polymer backbone, decreasing the rate of chain scission reactions as the diphenylsiloxane content increases and stabilizing the elastomer against creep. The balance of chain scission, chemical crosslinking, and cyclic formation reactions varies depending on diphenylsiloxane content, giving rise to the differences in dynamic creep behavior. An activation energy of 12.9 kcal/mol was measured for dynamic creep of poly(16% diphenylsiloxane/84% dimethyl siloxane), suggesting that a catalyzed degradation mechanism was responsible. The primary catalysts of the degradation reactions are postulated to be the filler particles. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Creating patterned poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces with amoxicillin and poly(ethylene glycol)

This paper reports a simple microwave plasma patterning of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces, which is accomplished by allowing selective surface areas to microwave plasma exposure in the presence of gaseous monomer. When maleic anhydride is used for microwave plasma reaction in the presence of physical barrier on the PDMS substrate, the resulting patterned surfaces with chemically bonded maleic anhydride and carboxylic acid groups are generated. In this particular study we attached amoxicillin via ammonolysis under weak base conditions in the presence of a catalyst as well as poly(ethyleneglycol) (PEG). A combination of internal reflection IR imaging (IRIRI) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) revealed that amoxicillin and PEG can be readily reacted on the microwave plasma patterned PDMS surfaces. Surface areas directly exposed to microwave plasmons exhibit the highest reactivity due to higher content of functional groups. These studies also show that molecular weight of PEG has also significant effect on kinetics of surface reactions.     

Preparation and application of poly(dimethylsiloxane)/beta-cyclodextrin solid-phase microextraction fibers

A novel poly(dimethylsiloxane)/beta-cyclodextrin (PDMS/beta-CD) coating was prepared for solid-phase microextraction (SPME). The PDMS/beta-CD coating proved to have a porous structure, providing high surface areas and allowing for high extraction efficiency. The coating had a high thermal stability (340 degrees C) and a long lifetime due to its chemical binding to the fiber surface. Polar phenols and amines were used to evaluate the character of the coating fiber by headspace (HS) extraction and thermal desorption, followed by GC-FID analysis. Parameters that affected the extraction process were investigated; these include extraction time and temperature, desorption time, pH, and ionic strength of the solution. For phenols, the range of linearity of the method was 4-500 microg/L and the LOD was 1.3-2.1 microg/L. For amines, the range of linearity was 1-1000 microg/L and the LOD was 1.2-2.8 microg/L. The presence of beta-CD not only increases the thermal stability of the fiber coating, but also enhances its selectivity. Compared with commercially available SPME fibers, the new phases show better selectivity and sensitivity towards polar compounds.     

An aqueous-based surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) with poly(ethylene glycol) to prevent biofouling

We report a simple modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces with poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) through the adsorption of a graft copolymer, poly(l-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) from aqueous solution. In this approach, the PDMS surface was treated with oxygen plasma, followed by immersion into aqueous solution containing PLL-g-PEG copolymers. Due to the hydroxyl/carboxylic groups generated on the PDMS surface after oxygen plasma, the polycationic PLL backbone is attracted to the negatively charged surface and PEG side chains exhibit an extended structure. The PEG/aqueous interface generated in this way revealed a near-perfect resistance to nonspecific protein adsorption as monitored by means of optical waveguide lightmode spectroscopy (OWLS) and fluorescence microscopy.