Modification of micro-channel filling flow by poly(dimethylsiloxane) surface functionalization with fluorine—Substituted aminonaphthols

Microfluidics based on the capillarity-induced filling of elastomeric channels by a suitable liquid or solution represents a useful route for realizing portable diagnostic devices designed without additional mechanical or electrical micropumps. In this study, an elastomeric mold made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), containing relief patterns placed in intimate contact with a silicon substrate, is utilized to create a continuous network of rectangular micro-channels for the motion of water fluid. The immobilization on activated PDMS surface of suitable functional molecules such as hydrophilic and hydrophobic fluorine-containing aminonaphthols, obtained through a straightforward and versatile synthetic procedure, allowed us to modulate PDMS surface properties depending on the structural characteristics of the employed derivative. In this context, the incorporation of fluorine groups is important for improving biocompatibility of the resulting device, providing surfaces that could be chemically and biologically inert as well as resistant to surface adhesion phenomena. The functionalization from liquid phase of PDMS replicas, involving a covalent derivatization via silanization reaction of the above mentioned compounds to an oxidized PDMS surface, resulted in a successful modification of microfluidic motion of water in rectangular capillaries, moreover contact angle values evidence also how wettability of PDMS films could be modulated, with the fluorinated aminonaphthols fuctionalized PDMS exhibiting higher contact angles.     

Facile preparation of superhydrophobic coatings by sol-gel processes

Different organic/inorganic compositions and deposition methods were used to prepare superhydrophobic surfaces using metal alkoxides and the sol-gel process. Both surface roughness and composition had to be adjusted in order to obtain very high contact angles and low contact angle hysteresis as a necessary requirement for superhydrophobicity. Multilayer samples with a fluorinated organic-inorganic top layer showed water contact angles of about 157 degrees with low hysteresis (2 degrees ). Water drops rolled easily off their surface at a tilt angle as low as 4 degrees .     

Fouling-release coatings prepared from alpha,omega-dihydroxypoly(dimethylsiloxane) cross-linked with (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)triethoxysilane

Surface properties of pristine and water-aged polymeric films made of alpha,omega-dihydroxypoly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) cross-linked with (heptadecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrodecyl)triethoxysilane (FTEOS17) or tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) were investigated. The FTEOS17-cured coatings showed stable advancing and receding contact angles over a period of 3 months of water exposure, compared to a 70 degrees decrease in receding contact angle for the TEOS-cured coatings. After immersion in water, hydroxyl groups were detected on the TEOS-cured coatings with attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FT/IR). Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (TM-AFM) on pristine FTEOS17-cured coatings showed surfaces topologies ranging from smooth and featureless to topologically complex, depending on FTEOS17 concentration. The fluorinated coatings showed a stable surface morphology after water immersion, which we believe is due to the formation of a fluorinated siliceous phase that prevented the surface reconstruction, water penetration, and hydrolysis. The smooth pristine TEOS-cured coatings showed an increased roughness with cracks and erosion pits present on the surface after water immersion.     

Surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) with a perfluorinated alkoxysilane for selectivity toward fluorous tagged peptides

Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) and similar polymers have proved to be of widespread interest for use in microfluidic and similar microanalytical devices. Surface modification of PDMS is required to extend the range of applications for devices made of this polymer, however. Here we report on the grafting of perfluorooctyltriethoxysilane via hydrolysis onto an oxidized PDMS substrate in order to form a fluorinated microchannel. Such a fluorinated device could be used for separating fluorous tagged proteins or peptides, similar to that which has been recently demonstrated in a capillary electrophoresis system or in an open tubular capillary column. The modified polymer is characterized using chemical force titrations, contact angle measurements, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We also report on a novel means of performing electroosmotic measurements on this material to determine the surface zeta potential. As might be expected, contact angle and chemical force titration measurements indicate the fluorinated surface to be highly hydrophobic. XPS indicates that fluorocarbon groups segregate to the surface of the polymer over a period of days following the initial surface modification, presumably driven by a lower surface free energy. One of the most interesting results is the zeta potential measurements, which show that significant surface charge can be maintained across a wide range of pH on this modified polymer, sufficient to promote electroosmotic flow in a microfluidic chip. Matrix-assisted time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) measurements show that a fluorous-tagged peptide will selectively adsorb on the fluorinated PDMS in aqueous solution, demonstrating that the fluorinated polymer could be used in devices designed for the enrichment or enhanced detection of fluorous-labeled proteins and peptides.     

冬瓜皮表面白霜的超疏水性研究

冬瓜是一种常见的蔬菜,大部分品种成熟时表面覆盖一层类似于"白霜"的粉末。本文使用扫描电镜、接触角测量仪、傅立叶变换红外光谱、X射线衍射仪等设备对冬瓜皮表面白霜的浸润性、结构形貌及其组成进行了研究,证实了冬瓜皮表面白霜的超疏水特性,水滴在其表面的接触角高达154.8±3.5°,且滚动角小于5°。研究表明,冬瓜皮表面的白霜呈现微纳米多级拓扑结构,主要由长链脂肪酸、长链烷烃酯类组成,这种微纳米拓扑结构和化学组成的协同作用决定了冬瓜皮表面的超疏水性。本工作可为进一步了解、设计此类结构材料提供数据积累。     

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.     

CF4 plasma treatment of poly(dimethylsiloxane): effect of fillers and its application to high-aspect-ratio UV embossing

Surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) was carried out via CF4 plasma treatment. The test PDMS used contains significant amounts of quartz and silica fillers, while the control material is the same PDMS with quartz removed by centrifugation. Fluorination accompanied with roughening was produced on both PDMS surfaces. With short plasma times (15 min or less), a macromolecular fluorocarbon layer was formed on the PDMS surfaces because of the dominant fluorination, leading to significant increase in F concentration, decrease of surface energy, and some roughening. With intermediate plasma times (15-30 min), dynamic balance between fluorination and ablation was achieved, leading to a plateau of the surface roughness, fluorine content, and [F-Si]/[F-C] ratio. At our longest investigated plasma time of 45 min, the plasma ablated the fluorinated covering layer on the PDMS surfaces, leading to significant increase in roughness and [F-Si]/[F-C] ratio and decrease of surface F concentration. The effect of additional quartz in the test PDMS on surface F concentration, [F-Si]/[F-C] ratio, and roughness was dramatic only when ablation was significant (i.e., 45 min). The obtained Teflon-like surface displays long-term stability as opposed to hydrophobic recovery of other plasma-treated PDMS surfaces to increase hydrophilicity. On the basis of the optimized plasma treatment time of 15 min, a microstructured PDMS mold was plasma treated and successfully used for multiple high-aspect-ratio (about 8) UV embossing of nonpolar polypropylene glycol diacrylate (PPGDA) resin.     

SURFACE STRUCTURE AND BULK PROPERTIES OF FLUORINATED POLY(ETHER URETHANE)S AND POLY(ETHER URETHANE) BLENDS

INTRODUCTIONPolyurethanes (PU) have been widely used for manufacturing medical devices because of their excellentmechanical properties and moderate biocompatibility[1]. Although polyurethanes used in applications requiringall of the above properties have been successful for short-term use, the problems of long-term thromboresistanceand biostability in a biological environment still remain unsolved[2,3]. A legitimate approach to improving theproperties of polyurethanes is introduction of f…     

Effect of oxidation on the wettability of poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces

The wetting of amorphous poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) surfaces by water has been studied using molecular dynamics simulations. PDMS surfaces were generated by compressing a long PDMS chain between two elastic boundaries at atmospheric pressure. Oxidation of the PDMS surface, achieved in real systems by exposure to air plasma or corona discharge, was modeled by replacing methyl groups on the PDMS chain with hydroxyl groups. Three surfaces of varying degrees of oxidation were characterized by measuring the water contact angle and the roughness. The dependence of the microscopic contact angle on drop size was measured from time averaged density profiles. The macroscopic contact angle was measured directly using a cylindrical drop of infinite length with zero contact line curvature. The measured macroscopic contact angle ranged from approximately 125 degrees on the untreated surface to 75 degrees on the most oxidized surface studied. The line tension was found to increase with increasing degree of oxidation, from a negligible value on the untreated surface to approximately 5x10(-11) J m(-1) on the most heavily oxidized surface.     

Surface functionalization of silicone rubber for permanent adhesion improvement

The surface properties of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) layers screen printed onto silicon wafers were studied after oxygen and ammonia plasma treatments and subsequent grafting of poly(ethylene -alt-maleic anhydride) (PEMA) using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), roughness analysis, and contact angle and electrokinetic measurements. In the case of oxygen-plasma-treated PDMS, a hydrophilic, brittle, silica-like surface layer containing reactive silanol groups was obtained. These surfaces indicate a strong tendency for "hydrophobic recovery" due to the surface segregation of low-molecular-weight PDMS species. The ammonia plasma treatment of PDMS resulted in the generation of amino-functional surface groups and the formation of a weak boundary layer that could be washed off by polar liquids. To avoid the loss of the plasma modification effect and to achieve stabilization of the mechanically instable, functionalized PDMS top layer, PEMA was subsequently grafted directly or after using gamma-APS as a coupling agent on the plasma-activated PDMS surfaces. In this way, long-time stable surface functionalization of PDMS was obtained. The reactivity of the PEMA-coated PDMS surface caused by the availability of anhydride groups could be controlled by the number of amino functional surface groups of the PDMS surface necessary for the covalent binding of PEMA. The higher the number of amino functional surface groups available for the grafting-to procedure, the lower the hydrophilicity and hence the lower the reactivity of the PEMA-coated PDMS surface. Additionally, pull-off tests were applied to estimate the effect of surface modification on the adhesion between the silicone rubber and an epoxy resin.     

Hydrophobization of glass surface by adsorption of poly(dimethylsiloxane)

Silica or glass particles are introduced in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) matrix for various applications. A particular feature of these systems is that PDMS adsorbs on the surface of the dispersed particles, thus rendering them more hydrophobic with time. The mechanism of this process of in situ hydrophobization is still poorly understood. The major aims of the present study are (1) to quantify the rate of surface hydrophobization by PDMS and, on this basis, to discuss the mechanism of the process; (2) to compare the contact angles of surfaces that are hydrophobized by different procedures and are placed in contact with different fluid interfaces-PDMS-water, hexadecane-water, and air-water; and (3) to check how the type of surfactant affects the contact angles, viz., the effective hydrophobicity of the surface. We present experimental results for the kinetics of hydrophobization of glass surfaces, which are characterized by measuring the three-phase contact angle of glass-surfactant solution-PDMS. The data reveal two consecutive stages in the hydrophobization process: The first stage is relatively fast and the contact angle increases from 0 degrees to about 90 degrees within several minutes. This stage is explained with the physical adsorption of the PDMS chains, as a result of hydrogen-bond formation with the surface silanol groups. The second stage is much slower and hours or days are required at room temperature to reach the final contact angle (typically, 150-160 degrees). This stage is explained as grafting of the PDMS molecules on the surface by chemical reaction with the surface silanol groups. If the glass surface had been pretreated by hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS), so that CH(3) groups had blocked most of the surface silanol groups, the first stage in the hydrophobization process is almost missing-the contact angle slowly changes at room temperature from about 90 degrees up to 120 degrees. The experiments aimed to compare several hydrophobization procedures showed that PDMS ensures larger contact angle (more hydrophobic surface) than grafted alkyl chains. The contact angles at the PDMS-water and hexadecane-water interfaces were found to be very similar to each other, and much larger than that at the air-water interface. Interestingly, we found that the ionic surfactants practically do not affect the contact angle of PDMS-hydrophobized surface, whereas the nonionic surfactants reduce this angle. Similar trends are expected with silica surfaces, as well.     

Engineering sticky superomniphobic surfaces on transparent and flexible PDMS substrate

Following the achievement of superhydrophobicity which prevents water adhesion on a surface, superomniphobicity extends this high repellency property to a wide range of liquids, including oils, solvents, and other low surface energy liquids. Recent theoretical approaches have yield to specific microstructures design criterion to achieve such surfaces, leading to superomniphobic structured silicon substrate. To transfer this technology on a flexible substrate, we use a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) molding process followed by surface chemical modification. It results in so-called sticky superomniphobic surfaces, exhibiting large apparent contact angles (>150°) along with large contact angle hysteresis (>10°). We then focus on the modified Cassie equation, considering the 1D aspect of wetting, to explain the behavior of droplets on these surfaces and compare experimental data to previous works to confirm the validity of this model.     

Fabrication of Superhydrophobic Surface with Different Metal Films on Aluminum Alloy

A simple technique was developed for the fabrication of a superhydrophobic surface on the aluminum alloy sheets. Different hierarchical structures(Ag, Co, Ni and Zn) were formed on the aluminum surface by the galvanic replacement reactions. After the chemical modification of them with fluorination, the wettability of the surfaces was changed from superhydrophilicity to superhydrophobicity. Scanning electron microscopy(SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS) and water contact angle measurement were performed to characterize the morphological characteristic, chemical composition and superhydrophobicity of the surfaces. The as-prepared superhydrophobic surfaces showed a water contact angle as high as ca.160° and sliding angle as low as ca.3°. We hope the method to produce superhydrophobic surface can be used in many fields.     

Fabrication of biomimetic superhydrophobic surfaces by a simple flame treatment method

A simple flame treatment method was explored to construct micro/nanostructures on a surface and then fabricate a biomimetic superhydrophobic surface at a relatively low cost. SiO₂‐containing polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) was used as a substrate. The PDMS replicas with various micropatterned surfaces were fabricated using grass leaf, sand paper, and PET sheet with parallel groove geometry as templates via PDMS replica molding. The PDMS replica surfaces with micron structures and the surface of a flat PDMS sheet as a control sample were further treated by flame. The fabricated surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and water contact angle measurements. The effect of surface microstructures on the transparency of PDMS was also investigated. The studies indicate that the fine nanoscale structures can be produced on the surfaces of PDMS replicas and a flat PDMS sheet by a flame treatment method, and that the hierarchical surface roughness can be adjusted and controlled by varying the flame treatment time. The flame‐treated surfaces of PDMS replicas and a flat PDMS sheet possess superhydrophobicity and an ultra‐low sliding angle reaching a limiting value of 1°, and the anisotropic wettability of the PDMS replica surface with oriented microgroove structures can be greatly suppressed via flame treatment. The visible light transmittance of the flame‐treated flat PDMS surface decreases with prolonged flame treatment times. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Contribution toward comprehension of contact angle values on single polydimethylsiloxane and poly(ethylene oxide) polymer networks

The large application ranges of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) based materials justify the importance of controlling polymer surface properties including morphology and wettability behavior. However, it appears that the reported contact angle values of PDMS surfaces show significant scattering which cannot always be interpreted in terms of sole chemical data. In addition, few values are reported concerning pure PEO surfaces, since the polymer generally swells in the presence of water. Thus, in order to correlate surface properties with sample preparation, several single PDMS and PEO polymer networks were synthesized with varying cross-linkers and different cross-linking densities. First, the sample surface topography was systematically analyzed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). It was proven that the removal process of the polymer film from the mold plays a significant role in surface topography according to the vitreous or rubbery state of the given polymer network at room temperature irrespective of mold surface treatment. AFM-scale smooth surfaces can be obtained for all the samples by removing them systematically from the mold at a temperature below the α-relaxation temperature. Dynamic water contact angles were then measured and the values analyzed as a function of cross-linker nature and cross-linking density.     

Effect of surface roughness and chemical composition on the wetting properties of silicon-based substrates

The article reports on the wetting properties of silicon-based materials as a function of their roughness and chemical composition. The investigated surfaces consist of hydrogen-terminated and chemically modified atomically flat crystalline silicon, porous silicon and silicon nanowires. The hydrogenated surfaces are functionalized with 1-octadecene or undecylenic acid under thermal conditions. The changes occurring upon surface functionalization are characterized using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectroscopy and water contact angle measurements. By increasing the surface roughness, the static water contact angle increases. The combination of high surface roughness with chemical functionalization with water repellent coating (1-octadecene) enables reaching superhydrophobicity (water contact angle greater than 150°) for silicon nanowires.     

Biomimetic Fabrication of Polymer Film with High Adhesive Superhydrophobicity by Duplicating Locust Wing Surface

Locust is a common flying insect. Locust wings were used as biomimetic templates to fabricate multi-functional polymer(polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS) films by soft lithography. The microstructure and wettability of the natural and artificial locust wing surfaces were investigated by means of a scanning electron microscope(SEM) and a video-based contact angle meter. The natural locust wing surface exhibits complicated hierarchical structures and high adhesive superhydrophobicity(contact angle 152°). The prepared polymer film faithfully reproduces the surface microstructures of the bio-template, and displays a good hydrophobicity and high adhesion(contact angle 144°). The complex wettability of the natural and artificial locust wing surfaces ascribes to the cooperative effect of hydrophobic composition and multi-dimensional rough microstructures. This work not only promotes our understanding of the wetting mechanism on bio-surfaces, but offers an inexpensive and effective approach for biomimetic fabrication of multi-functional interfacial materials.     

Analytical modeling and thermodynamic analysis of robust superhydrophobic surfaces with inverse-trapezoidal microstructures

A polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer surface with perfectly ordered microstructures having an inverse-trapezoidal cross-sectional profile (simply PDMS trapezoids) showed superhydrophobic and transparent characteristics under visible light as reported in our previous work. The addition of a fluoropolymer (Teflon) coating enhances both features and provides oleophobicity. This paper focuses on the analytical modeling of the fabricated PDMS trapezoids structure and thermodynamic analysis based on the Gibbs free energy analysis. Additionally, the wetting characteristics of the fabricated PDMS trapezoids surface before and after the application of the Teflon coating are analytically explained. The Gibbs free energy analysis reveals that, due to the Teflon coating, the Cassie-Baxter state becomes energetically more favorable than the Wenzel state and the contact angle difference between the Cassie-Baxter state and the Wenzel state decreases. These two findings support the robustness of the superhydrophobicity of the fabricated Teflon-coated PDMS trapezoids. This is then verified via the impinging test of a water droplet at a high speed. The dependencies of the design parameters in the PDMS trapezoids on the hydrophobicity are also comprehensively studied through a thermodynamic analysis. Geometrical dependency on the hydrophobicity shows that overhang microstructures do not have a significant influence on the hydrophobicity. In contrast, the intrinsic contact angle of the structural material is most important in determining the apparent contact angle. On the other hand, the experimental results showed that the side angles of the overhangs are critical not for the hydrophobic but for the oleophobic property with liquids of a low surface tension. Understanding of design parameters in the PDMS trapezoids surface gives more information for implementation of superhydrophobic surfaces.     

A facial approach to fabricate superhydrophobic aluminum surface

A facial chemical etching method was developed for fabricating superhydrophobic aluminum surfaces. The resultant surfaces were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, water contact angle (WCA) measurement, and optical methods. The surfaces of the modified aluminum substrates exhibit superhydrophobicity, with a WCA of 154.8° ± 1.6° and a water sliding angle of about 5°. The etched surfaces have binary structure consisting of the irregular microscale plateaus and caves in which there are the nanoscale block‐like convexes and hollows. The superhydrophobicity of aluminum substrates occurs only in some structures in which the plateaus and caves are appropriately ordered. The resulted surfaces have good self‐cleaning properties. The results demonstrate that it is possible to construct superhydrophobic surface on hydrophilic substrates by tailoring the surface structure to providing more spaces to trap air. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Fibrinolytic poly(dimethyl siloxane) surfaces

PDMS surfaces have been modified to confer both resistance to non-specific protein adsorption and clot lyzing properties. The properties and chemical compositions of the surfaces have been investigated using water contact angle measurements, ATR FT-IR spectroscopy, and XPS. The ability of the PEG component to suppress non-specific protein adsorption was assessed by measurement of radiolabeled fibrinogen uptake from buffer. The adsorption of plasminogen from human plasma to the various surfaces was studied. In vitro experiments demonstrated that lysine-immobilized surfaces with free epsilon-amino groups were able to dissolve fibrin clots, following exposure to plasma and tissue plasminogen activator. [Figure: see text].