A polymer lab-on-a-chip for magnetic immunoassay with on-chip sampling and detection capabilities

This paper presents a new polymer lab-on-a-chip for magnetic bead-based immunoassay with fully on-chip sampling and detection capabilities, which provides a smart platform of magnetic immunoassay-based lab-on-a-chip for point-of-care testing (POCT) toward biochemical hazardous agent detection, food inspection or clinical diagnostics. In this new approach, the polymer lab-on-a-chip for magnetic bead-based immunoassay consists of a magnetic bead-based separator, an interdigitated array (IDA) micro electrode, and a microfluidic system, which are fully incorporated into a lab-on-a-chip on cyclic olefin copolymer (COC). Since the polymer lab-on-a-chip was realized using low cost, high throughput polymer microfabrication techniques such as micro injection molding and hot embossing method, a disposable polymer lab-on-a-chip for the magnetic bead-based immunoassay can be successfully realized in a disposable platform. With this newly developed polymer lab-on-a-chip, an enzyme-labelled electrochemical immunoassay (ECIA) was performed using magnetic beads as the mobile solid support, and the final enzyme product produced from the ECIA was measured using chronoamperometry. A sampling and detection of as low as 16.4 ng mL(-1) of mouse IgG has been successfully performed in 35 min for the entire procedure.     

Fit-to-Flow (F2F) interconnects: universal reversible adhesive-free microfluidic adaptors for lab-on-a-chip systems

World-to-chip (macro-to-micro) interface continues to be one of the most complicated, ineffective, and unreliable components in the development of emerging lab-on-a-chip systems involving integrated microfluidic operations. A number of irreversible (e.g., adhesive gluing) and reversible techniques (e.g., press fitting) have attempted to provide dedicated fluidic passage from standard tubing to miniature on-chip devices, none of which completely addresses the above concerns. In this paper, we present standardized adhesive-free microfluidic adaptors, referred to as Fit-to-Flow (F2F) Interconnects, to achieve reliable hermetic seal, high-density tube packing, self-aligned plug-in, reworkable connectivity, straightforward scalability and expandability, and applicability to broad lab-on-a-chip platforms; analogous to the modular plug-and-play USB architecture employed in modern electronics. Specifically, two distinct physical packaging mechanisms are applied, with one utilizing induced tensile stress in elastomeric socket to establish reversible seal and the other using negative pressure to provide on demand vacuum shield, both of which can be adapted to a variety of experimental configurations. The non-leaking performance (up to 336 kPa) along with high tube-packing density (of 1 tube/mm(2)) and accurate self-guided alignment (of 10 μm) have been characterized. In addition, a 3D microfluidic mixer and a 6-level chemical gradient generator paired with the corresponding F2F Interconnects have been devised to illustrate the applicability of the universal fluidic connections to classic lab-on-a-chip operations.     

Design and operation of microelectrochemical gates and integrated circuits

Here we report a simple design philosophy, based on the principles of bipolar electrochemistry, for the operation of microelectrochemical integrated circuits. The inputs for these systems are simple voltage sources, but because they do not require much power they could be activated by chemical or biological reactions. Device output is an optical signal arising from electrogenerated chemiluminescence. Individual microelectrochemical logic gates are described first, and then multiple logic circuits are integrated into a single microfluidic channel to yield an integrated circuit that can perform parallel logic functions. AND, OR, NOR, and NAND gates are described. Eventually, systems such as those described here could provide on-chip data processing functions for lab-on-a-chip devices.     

Controlled delivery of proteins into bilayer lipid membranes on chip

The study and the exploitation of membrane proteins for drug screening applications requires a controllable and reliable method for their delivery into an artificial suspended membrane platform based on lab-on-a-chip technology. In this work, a polymeric device for forming lipid bilayers suitable for electrophysiology studies and biosensor applications is presented. The chip supports a single bilayer and is configured for controlled protein delivery through on-chip microfluidics. In order to demonstrate the principle of protein delivery, the potassium channel KcsA was reconstituted into proteoliposomes, which were then fused with the suspended bilayer on-chip. Fusion of single proteoliposomes with the membrane was identified electrically. Single channel conductance measurements of KcsA in the on-chip bilayer were recorded and these were compared to previously published data obtained with a conventional planar bilayer system.     

Microparticle sampling by electrowetting-actuated droplet sweeping

This paper describes a new microparticle sampler where particles can be efficiently swept from a solid surface and sampled into a liquid medium using moving droplets actuated by the electrowetting principle. We successfully demonstrate that super hydrophilic (2 microm and 7.9 microm diameter glass beads of about 14 degrees contact angle), intermediate hydrophilic (7.5 microm diameter polystyrene beads of about 70 degrees contact angle), and super hydrophobic (7.9 microm diameter Teflon-coated glass beads and 3 microm size PTFE particles of over 110 degrees contact angles) particles on a solid surface are picked up by electrowetting-actuated moving droplets. For the glass beads as well as the polystyrene beads, the sampling efficiencies are over 93%, in particular over 98% for the 7.9 microm glass beads. For the PTFE particles, however, the sampling efficiency is measured at around 70%, relatively lower than that of the glass and polystyrene beads. This is due mainly to the non-uniformity in particle size and the particle hydrophobicity. In this case, the collected particles staying (adsorbing) on the air-to-water interface hinder the droplet from advancing. This particle sampler requires an extremely small amount of liquid volume (about 500 nanoliters) and will thus be highly compatible and easily integrated with lab-on-a-chip systems for follow-up biological/chemical analyses.     

Cargo-towing synthetic nanomachines: towards active transport in microchip devices

This review article discusses the use of synthetic catalytic nano motors for cargo manipulations and for developing miniaturized lab-on-chip systems based on autonomous transport. The ability of using chemically-powered artificial nanomotors to capture, transport and release therapeutic payloads or nanostructured biomaterials represents one of the next major prospects for nanomotor development. The increased cargo-towing force of such self-propelled nanomotors, along with their precise motion control within microchannel networks, versatility and facile functionalization, pave the way to new integrated functional lab-on-a-chip powered by active transport and perform a series of tasks. Such use of cargo-towing artificial nanomotors has been inspired by on-chip kinesin molecular shuttles. Functionalized nano/microscale motors can thus be used to pick a selected nano/microscale chemical or biological payload target at the right place, transport and deliver them to a target location in a timely manner. Key challenges for using synthetic nanomachines for driving transport processes along microchannel networks are discussed, including loading and unloading of cargo and precise motion control, along with recent examples of related cargo manipulation processes and guided transport in lab-on-a-chip formats. The exciting research area of cargo-carrying catalytic man-made nanomachines is expected to grow rapidly, to lead to new lab-on-a-chip formats and to provide a wide range of future microchip opportunities.     

Modeling Study on the Flow,Heat Transfer and Energy Conversion Characteristics of Low-Power Arc-Heated Hydrogen/Nitrogen Thrusters

A modeling study is conducted to investigate the effect of hydrogen content in propellants on the plasma flow, heat transfer and energy conversion characteristics of low-power (kW class) arc-heated hydrogen/nitrogen thrusters (arcjets). 1:0 (pure hydrogen), 3:1 (to simulate decomposed ammonia), 2:1 (to simulate decomposed hydrazine) and 0:1 (pure nitrogen) hydrogen/nitrogen mixtures are chosen as the propellants. Both the gas flow region inside the thruster nozzle and the anode-nozzle wall are included in the computational domain in order to better treat the conjugate heat transfer between the gas flow region and the solid wall region. The axial variations of the enthalpy flux, kinetic energy flux, directed kinetic-energy flux, and momentum flux, all normalized to the mass flow rate of the propellant, are used to investigate the energy conversion process inside the thruster nozzle. The modeling results show that the values of the arc voltage, the gas axial-velocity at the thruster exit, and the specific impulse of the arcjet thruster all increase with increasing hydrogen content in the propellant, but the gas temperature at the nitrogen thruster exit is significantly higher than that for other three propellants. The flow, heat transfer, and energy conversion processes taking place in the thruster nozzle have some common features for all the four propellants. The propellant is heated mainly in the near-cathode and constrictor region, accompanied with a rapid increase of the enthalpy flux, and after achieving its maximum value, the enthalpy flux decreases appreciably due to the conversion of gas internal energy into its kinetic energy in the divergent segment of the thruster nozzle. The kinetic energy flux, directed kinetic energy flux and momentum flux also increase at first due to the arc heating and the thermodynamic expansion, assume their maximum inside the nozzle and then decrease gradually as the propellant flows toward the thruster exit. It is found that a large energy loss (31–52%) occurs in the thruster nozzle due to the heat transfer to the nozzle wall and too long nozzle is not necessary. Modeling results for the NASA 1-kW class arcjet thruster with hydrogen or decomposed hydrazine as the propellant are found to compare favorably with available experimental data.     

Continuous particle separation in spiral microchannels using Dean flows and differential migration

Microparticle separation and concentration based on size has become indispensable in many biomedical and environmental applications. In this paper we describe a passive microfluidic device with spiral microchannel geometry for complete separation of particles. The design takes advantage of the inertial lift and viscous drag forces acting on particles of various sizes to achieve differential migration, and hence separation, of microparticles. The dominant inertial forces and the Dean rotation force due to the spiral microchannel geometry cause the larger particles to occupy a single equilibrium position near the inner microchannel wall. The smaller particles migrate to the outer half of the channel under the influence of Dean forces resulting in the formation of two distinct particle streams which are collected in two separate outputs. This is the first demonstration that takes advantage of the dual role of Dean forces for focusing larger particles in a single equilibrium position and transposing the smaller particles from the inner half to the outer half of the microchannel cross-section. The 5-loop spiral microchannel 100 microm wide and 50 microm high was used to successfully demonstrate a complete separation of 7.32 microm and 1.9 microm particles at Dean number De = 0.47. Analytical analysis supporting the experiments and models is also presented. The simple planar structure of the separator offers simple fabrication and makes it ideal for integration with on-chip microfluidic systems, such as micro total analysis systems (muTAS) or lab-on-a-chip (LOC) for continuous filtration and separation applications.     

Towards biochemical reaction monitoring using FT-IR synchrotron radiation

A lab-on-a-chip device made of CaF2 windows and SU-8 polymer was used for fluid lamination to achieve rapid mixing of two streamlines with a cross section of 300 x 5 microm each. Time resolved measurements of the induced chemical reaction was achieved by applying constant feeding low flow rates and by on-chip measurement at defined distances after the mixing point. Synchrotron IR microscopic detection was employed for direct and label-free monitoring of (bio)chemical reactions. Furthermore, using synchrotron IR microscopy the measurement spot could be reduced to the diffraction limit, thus maximizing time resolution in the experimental set-up under study. Based on computational fluid dynamic simulations the principle of the set-up is discussed. Experimental results on the basic hydrolysis of methyl chloroacetate proved the working principle of the experimental set-up. First results on the interaction between the antibiotic vancomycin and a tripeptide (Ac2KAA) involved in the build up of the membrane proteins of gram-positive bacteria are presented.     

Effect of pressures on decomposition reaction kinetics of double-base propellant catalyzed with cerium citrate

The decomposition reaction kinetics of the double-base (DB) propellant (No. TG0701) composed of the mixed ester of triethyleneglycol dinitrate (TEGDN) and nitroglycerin (NG) and nitrocellulose (NC) with cerium(III) citrate (CIT-Ce) as a combustion catalyst was investigated by high-pressure differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) under flowing nitrogen gas conditions. The results show that pressure (2 MPa) can decrease the peak temperature and increase the decomposition heat, and also can change the mechanism function of the exothermal decomposition reaction of the DB gun propellant under 0.1 MPa; CIT-Ce can decrease the apparent activation energy of the DB gun propellant by about 35 kJ mol⁻¹ under low pressure, but it can not display the effect under high pressure; CIT-Ce can not change the decomposition reaction mechanism function under a pressure.     

Diffusion driven optofluidic dye lasers encapsulated into polymer chips

Lab-on-a-chip systems made of polymers are promising for the integration of active optical elements, enabling e.g. on-chip excitation of fluorescent markers or spectroscopy. In this work we present diffusion operation of tunable optofluidic dye lasers in a polymer foil. We demonstrate that these first order distributed feedback lasers can be operated for more than 90 min at a pulse repetition rate of 2 Hz without fluidic pumping. Ultra-high output pulse energies of more than 10 μJ and laser thresholds of 2 μJ are achieved for resonator lengths of 3 mm. By introducing comparatively large on-chip dye solution reservoirs, the required exchange of dye molecules is accomplished solely by diffusion. Polymer chips the size of a microscope cover slip (18 × 18 mm(2)) were fabricated in batches on a wafer using a commercially available polymer (TOPAS(?) Cyclic Olefin Copolymer). Thermal imprinting of micro- and nanoscale structures into 100 μm foils simultaneously defines photonic resonators, liquid-core waveguides, and fluidic reservoirs. Subsequently, the fluidic structures are sealed with another 220 μm foil by thermal bonding. Tunability of laser output wavelengths over a spectral range of 24 nm on a single chip is accomplished by varying the laser grating period in steps of 2 nm. Low-cost manufacturing suitable for mass production, wide laser tunability, ultra-high output pulse energies, and long operation times without external fluidic pumping make these on-chip lasers suitable for a wide range of lab-on-a-chip applications, e.g. on-chip spectroscopy, biosensing, excitation of fluorescent markers, or surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS).     

Generation of dynamic chemical signals with microfluidic C-DACs

The utilization of microfluidic "lab-on-a-chip" devices in fundamental medical research, drug discovery and clinical diagnostics has rapidly increased in the past decade. Lab-on-a-chip devices process small volumes of analytes and reagents through on-chip microfluidic signal processing circuits. This paper discusses the implementation of a basic microfluidic circuit block, the concentration digital-to-analog converter (or C-DAC) which produces discretized chemical concentrations in a constant stream of solvent. The chemical concentration is controlled by a time-varying digital word; hence C-DACs are suitable for on-chip generation of arbitrary chemical signals. A 4-bit continuous-flow C-DAC was fabricated in two-level PDMS technology and tested. Several chemical waveforms (sawtooth, cosine, and ramp) were generated at flow rates of 2 microL min(-1) and frequencies of 0.6-4 mHz. The frequency cut off of this C-DAC was approximately 500 mHz.     

柠檬酸镧催化双基推进剂的非等温热分解反应动力学

采用TG-DTG和DSC技术研究了含二缩三乙二醇二硝酸酯(TEGDN)和硝化甘油(NG)的混合酯、硝化棉(NC)和用作燃烧催化剂的柠檬酸镧组成的双基推进剂在常压和流动态氮气气氛下的非等温热分解反应动力学. 结果表明, 该双基推进剂的热分解过程存在2个失重阶段: 第I失重阶段为混合酯的挥发分解过程; 第II失重阶段为主放热分解反应, 机理服从三级化学反应, 减速型α-t曲线, 动力学参数: Ea=231.14 kJ·mol-1, A=10^23.29 s-1, 动力学方程为dα/dt=10^22.99(1-α)³ e^-2.78×104/T. 由外推起始点温度(Te)和峰顶温度(Tp)计算得出该双基推进剂的热爆炸临界温度值分别为Tbe=463.62 K, Tbp=477.88 K. 反应的活化熵(⊿S^≠)、活化焓(⊿H^≠)和活化能(⊿G^≠)分别为219.75 J·mol-1·K-1, 239.23 kJ·mol-1和135.96 kJ·mol-1.     

Generation of dynamic chemical signals with pulse code modulators

The on-chip generation of dynamic chemical signals in a flow stream via pulse code modulation (PCM) is demonstrated. In this chip the output signal concentration is determined by dispersion and averaging of a serial stream of digitally encoded plugs of concentrated solute and pure solvent as the plugs flow through a long dispersive capillary. A two-bit PCM chemical signal generator was fabricated in two-level PDMS technology. The chip was capable of generating 31 distinct output levels with 10-plug cycles. Several example chemical waveforms (sawtooth and cosine) were generated at flow rates of 43.2 nL s(-1), and plug frequencies of up to 15 Hz, with maximum output signal bandwidth of up to about 1 Hz. The modulator chip was also used to synthesize physiological signals emulating intracellular beta-cell cytosolic Ca(2+) oscillations, extracellular beta-cell insulin release and rat-striatum dopamine release.     

Experimental study on ballistic behaviour of an aluminised AP/HTPB propellant during accelerated aging

The chemical stability of a propellant and its influence on the ballistic properties during aging is a subject of interest. The effect of aging on ballistic properties, viz., ignition delay, burning rate, and heat of combustion for an aluminised ammonium perchlorate–hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (AP/HTPB) composite propellant during accelerated aging were investigated. Samples of composite propellants were aged at 60 and 70 °C at relative humidity of 50% in a climatic chamber. The propellant samples were tested with pressurized nitrogen gas environment for ignition delay measurement. Test results indicate that aging does not have any appreciable effect on ignition delay. The change in ignition delay time is less than 3% within the scatter of the data. Experiment results indicate that burn rate do affect with pressure but aging does not have much effect on burn rate. It was also observed that the burning rate at low pressures did not undergo significant changes during the aging period. The most significant of all the ballistic properties of this propellant is the burning rate exponent which increased by about 10% during the aging period.     

An application of plastic microchannel-microheater chips to a thermal synthetic reaction.

Polystyrol microchannel-microheater chips were fabricated on the basis of imprinting and photolithography techniques. The solution (i.e., methanol) temperature in the vicinity of the microheater (width = 100 or 200 microm and length = 100 microm) integrated in the channel (width = 100 microm and depth = 20 microm) was evaluated on the basis of the temperature-dependent fluorescence lifetime of Rhodamine B as a function of a flow rate and the voltage applied to the heater. The study demonstrated that the fabricated chip acted certainly as a microheater. The chip was then applied to the thermal reaction between benzaldehyde and malononitrile in methanol. Under optimum conditions, benzilidenemalononitrile as the product of the reaction was obtained in a 96% yield with the reaction time of 84 s.     

Stabilization of methane hydrate by pressurization with He or N2 gas

The behavior of methane hydrate was investigated after it was pressurized with helium or nitrogen gas in a test system by monitoring the gas compositions. The results obtained indicate that even when the partial pressure of methane gas in such a system is lower than the equilibrium pressure at a certain temperature, the dissociation rate of methane hydrate is greatly depressed by pressurization with helium or nitrogen gas. This phenomenon is only observed when the total pressure of methane and helium (or nitrogen) gas in the system is greater than the equilibrium pressure required to stabilize methane hydrate with just methane gas. The following model has been proposed to explain the observed phenomenon: (1) Gas bubbles develop at the hydrate surface during hydrate dissociation, and there is a pressure balance between the methane gas inside the gas bubbles and the external pressurizing gas (methane and helium or nitrogen), as transmitted through the water film; as a result the methane gas in the gas bubbles stabilizes the hydrate surface covered with bubbles when the total gas pressure is greater than the equilibrium pressure of the methane hydrate at that temperature; this situation persists until the gas in the bubbles becomes sufficiently dilute in methane or until the surface becomes bubble-free. (2) In case of direct contact of methane hydrate with water, the water surrounding the hydrate is supersaturated with methane released upon hydrate dissociation; consequently, methane hydrate is stabilized when the hydrostatic pressure is above the equilibrium pressure of methane hydrate at a certain temperature, again until the dissolved gas at the surface becomes sufficiently dilute in methane. In essence, the phenomenon is due to the presence of a nonequilibrium state where there is a chemical potential gradient from the solid hydrate particles to the bulk solution that exists as long as solid hydrate remains.     

Application of preparative gel-permeation chromatography to studies of low molecular weight carboxy-polybutadienes

Low molecular weight carboxy-polybutadiene liquid polymers are used as the binderfuel fraction in solid composite propellants. Analytical GPC determinations of low molecular weight materials (100 through 500 molecular weight range) were previously found to correlate significantly with final propellant properties. These low molecular weight materials are being characterized, and studies of their role in determining propellant physical properties are being conducted. Sufficient quantities of material in the 100–500 molecular weight range have been isolated by using preparative scale GPC to establish the chemical nature of these materials. Infrared and chemical analysis of fractions collected by using preparative GPC also has permitted the construction of functional group distribution profiles. In addition, narrow fractions isolated over the molecular weight range of the whole polymer were analyzed for average molecular weight by vapor pressure osmometry and have been used as calibration standards for analytical GPC.     

Effect of solid-like nitrogen contact layers on graphite: anisotropy of tangential pressure and orientational order

Molecular simulation has provided a significant progress in understanding behavior of two-dimensional molecular layers of various gases deposited on a solid surface. Substantial efforts have been made to describe the state of noble gases, nitrogen, methane, carbon dioxide etc. on the graphite surface. As a result, mechanism of solidification and melting of molecular layers, formation of structures commensurate with substrate, orientational ordering of non-spherical molecules and other distinctive features of 2D layers are mainly clear for at least 2 decades. Some quantitative refinements in modeling of such systems and adjusting parameters basing on experimental data are still continuing, but the activity in fundamental study in this area has been weakened. In part, this is due to difficulties in reliable evaluating of thermodynamic functions of 2D systems, especially in the crystalline form, which hinders exact evaluation of the 2D liquid–solid transition parameters. Recently new possibilities were demonstrated in the framework of a methodology based on kinetic Monte Carlo and explicit accounting for the 2D gas–solid and gas–liquid interface with an adjustable external potential imposed on the gas phase (Ustinov and Do in J Colloid Interface Sci 366:216–223, 2012; Ustinov in J Chem Phys 140: 074706, 2014a, in J Chem Phys 141:134706, 2014b, in J Chem Phys 142: 074701, 2015). This study aims at an extension of the approach to adsorption of nitrogen on the graphite surface. A special attention is paid to effect of commensurate nitrogen monolayer on graphite, manifesting itself as the appearance of a significant tangential pressure directly in the graphite layer. This pressure has to be accounted for in all thermodynamic equations such as the Gibbs–Duhem equation and involved into simulation schemes realizing the NPT ensemble. In the case of nitrogen at low temperatures the herringbone structure of the crystalline layer has proved to result in a significant anisotropy of that pressure. The developed approach can be extended to 3D systems and various fluids confined in nanoporous materials.     

射流式单重态氧发生器研究

单重态氧O2(a1△g)是迄今唯一能用纯化学反应高效产生的具有长寿命的亚稳激发态分子.为了考察提出的用两个O2(1△)能量汇集反应生成氧第二单重激发态O2(b1∑+g)以实现近可见短波长化学激光方案的现实性,设计和实验了一个氯流量为3～10 mmol/s的射流式单重态氧发生器(JSOG).考察了三种具有不同孔径和孔数目的喷头、氯气流量和脱水冷阱温度等对JSOG出口的O2(1△)浓度、O2(1△)分压、氯利用率及水蒸气含量的影响.发现用聚氯乙烯管作冷阱时,最佳冷阱介质温度为-140～-150℃,对此提出了O2(1△)表面脱活与脱水互相竞争的解释.在最佳条件下,可将O2(1△)气中水分压降低至4 Pa,这一结果是首次报导.