Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qiang Li, Bingyan Jiang, Xianglin Li, Mingyong Zhou
Summary: A solvent-assisted bonding strategy was proposed to improve the bonding quality and reduce the fabrication time of microfluidic chips. The results showed that mixing cyclohexane with isopropanol can reduce the dissolution effect. The optimal parameters for solvent treatment of the cover sheet were found to be a cyclohexane volume fraction of 70%, a dose of 1.5 mL, a bonding pressure of 2 MPa, and a bonding time of 240 s, resulting in a bonding strength of 913 kPa.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Rodolfo G. Rodrigues, Pedro G. M. Condelipes, Rafaela R. Rosa, Virginia Chu, Joao Pedro Conde
Summary: The study developed a method to fabricate COC microfluidic structures and evaluated its material properties for application in microfluidics. The COC devices showed potential for use in biosensing and Lab-on-a-Chip applications.
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Adham Mahmoud, Jorge Ruiz-Garcia, Olivier de Sagazan, Mauro Ettorre, Ronan Sauleau, David Gonzalez-Ovejero
Summary: This article presents the use of a Luneburg lens to excite a leaky-wave antenna in the sub-THz frequency range. The antenna is fabricated on a 140-mu m thick cyclic Olefin copolymer substrate, with radiating slots etched on the polymer using photolithography. Experimental results show good input reflection coefficient and beam steering capability. The proposed solution offers a low-cost and low-profile alternative for beam-scanning antennas in the sub-THz range.
IEEE ANTENNAS AND WIRELESS PROPAGATION LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Leire Etxeberria, Taha Messelmani, Jon Haitz Badiola, Andreu Llobera, Luis Fernandez, Jose Luis Vilas-Vilela, Eric Leclerc, Cecile Legallais, Rachid Jellali, Ane Miren Zaldua
Summary: This study developed a microfluidic device for culturing liver cell line under dynamic conditions, using a process suitable for mass production. The device, made of cyclic olefin copolymers, integrates connectors compatible with standard medical and laboratory instruments. Experimental results showed that the cells proliferated well and remained functional for 9 days of culture in the device, and exhibited similar behavior to cells in traditional material-based biochips. This study provides a proof-of-concept for the use of the developed biochips in liver cell culture and illustrates their potential in advancing OoC technology.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Daniele Di Iorio, Sharath Rameshbabu, Brigitte Bruijns, Jacopo Movilli, Maciej Skolimowski, Jurriaan Huskens
Summary: The production of a new class of microfluidic devices built from thermoplastic materials has recently aroused interest in a high-volume and cost-effective fabrication of sensing devices. A low-temperature, UV-light-free, and solvent-free bonding method for polymeric devices, based on poly-l-lysine (PLL) polymers modified with click-chemistry moieties, is presented in this study.
ADVANCED MATERIALS INTERFACES
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Eun Chae Kim, Myung-Jin Kim, Linh Nguyet Thi Ho, Woohwa Lee, Jae-Won Ka, Dong-Gyun Kim, Tae Joo Shin, Kang Moo Huh, Sungmin Park, Yong Seok Kim
Summary: The synthesis and systematic investigation of vinyl-addition polynorbornene copolymers with pendant n-alkyl chains were reported, with high transmittance films successfully prepared by a solution-casting method. The mechanical properties of the films can be controlled by tuning the length and content of the alkyl chain.
Article
Polymer Science
L. Etxeberria, J. Anakabe, L. Fernandez, A. Larranaga-Varga, J. L. Vilas-Vilela, L. Ruiz-Rubio, A. M. Zaldua
Summary: This study provides a detailed analysis of the crystallization behavior of semi-crystalline COC material. The results show that the crystalline structure generated during the injection molding of PoC device parts remains the same regardless of processing conditions. The study on the non-isothermal crystallization kinetics suggests that the Avrami-Ozawa and Avrami models are effective in describing the crystallization behavior of the material.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Leire Etxeberria, Jon Haitz Badiola, Malen Astigarraga, Felipe Garitaonandia, Ane Miren Zaldua
Summary: Point-of-care and organ-on-chip devices are promising microfluidic applications for in vitro analysis and miniaturized studies, reducing reliance on animal testing. This study compares injection molding and injection-compression molding techniques for mass manufacturing of thermoplastic microfluidic devices, highlighting the potential of both techniques for producing these devices at a large scale and low cost.
MACROMOLECULAR MATERIALS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Milan Salek, Stephen M. Hanham, Andrew P. Gregory
Summary: This letter presents the design, fabrication, and characterization of an air-mode 1-D photonic crystal resonator (PCR) operating at 100 GHz. The PCR was made of an inexpensive cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) using computer numerical control (CNC) milling. Despite the lack of complete electromagnetic bandgap due to the low permittivity of the COC, a resonator with a high quality factor (Q-factor) of 2800 was achieved by shaping the resonant field to minimize radiative loss.
IEEE MICROWAVE AND WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Shimin Zheng, Haidong Chen, Huibing Chen, Wenhai Zhang, Quan Xue, Wenquan Che
Summary: This article introduces a novel copper clad laminate based on COC material, investigates its loss characteristic, and designs baluns operating at X-band. Experimental results demonstrate good performance of the laminate, making it a promising candidate for microwave/millimeter wave circuit applications.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RF AND MICROWAVE COMPUTER-AIDED ENGINEERING
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Minjun Chen, Ruqaiya Aluunmani, Guido Bolognesi, Goran T. Vladisavljevic
Summary: Poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) microgels with tuneable size and porosity have various applications. The microgels were produced using modular droplet microfluidics and their properties were studied.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Sandra Gonzalez-Lana, Teodora Randelovic, Jesus Ciriza, Maria Lopez-Valdeolivas, Rosa Monge, Carlos Sanchez-Somolinos, Ignacio Ochoa
Summary: The tissue microenvironment is crucial for tissue homeostasis and disease progression, but there has been a lack of adequate biomimetic models for in vitro simulation. However, microfluidic technology has allowed the recreation of these complex microenvironments using hydrogels, cells, and microfluidic devices. Despite the advancements, there are limitations such as the collapse of 3D structures when contractile cells exert forces.
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Matthew B. Lemon, Cecilia C. Douma, Gretchen S. Burke, Michael T. Bowser
Summary: The challenge of fabricating high-performance microscale devices in the microfluidics field is addressed in this study. A micro free-flow electrophoresis (mu FFE) device is fabricated using PolyJet 3D printing and hot embossing techniques, with channels fully enclosed through solvent-assisted thermal bonding. The device achieves baseline separation of fluorescent compounds and offers a short production cycle and low cost.
Review
Biochemical Research Methods
Amid Shakeri, Shadman Khan, Tohid F. Didar
Summary: Microfluidics, particularly using polymeric materials like PDMS, offers unique advantages for developing commercial applications, but challenges in commercializing PDMS due to cost and surface modification complexities persist.
Article
Polymer Science
Zhihao Wang, Xin Shu, Hu Zhang, Lixin Cao, Yanqing Li, Zhengguo Cai
Summary: A series of 1,2-bis(imidazolidin-2-imine)benzene nickel complexes with different substituents were synthesized and characterized. The complexes showed tetrahedral configuration, with some exhibiting high steric hinderance and thermal stability. These nickel complexes were highly active for norbornene polymerization and copolymerization with styrene, forming uniform copolymers with tunable properties.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Santiago Franco Corredor, Fadoua Mayoussi, Manuel Luitz, Andrea Kick, Andreas Goralczyk, David Boecherer, Grace Vera, Dorothea Helmer, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Bastian E. Rapp
Summary: Polystyrene (PS) is a commonly used material in medical, biological, and biomedical applications due to its beneficial properties. However, rapid prototyping and high-resolution shaping of PS, particularly on a micron scale, are still limited. This study introduces a novel photocurable PS photoresin that enables the fabrication of microfluidic chips with high optical transparency and comparable properties to commercial PS. This method allows researchers in various fields to produce suitable PS structures using commercial equipment.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Julian Nagel, Thomas Hanemann, Bastian E. Rapp, Guido Finnah
Summary: Self-heating nanocomposites with a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) have great potential for various engineering applications. This study investigated the thermo-electrical behaviors of injection molded CB/PA nanocomposites and found that combining high specific surface area CB with highly crystalline PA can significantly reduce specific resistances and generate noticeable PTC effects with high surface temperatures.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Andreas Goralczyk, Sagar Bhagwat, Fadoua Mayoussi, Niloofar Nekoonam, Kai Sachsenheimer, Peilong Hou, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Dorothea Helmer, Bastian E. Rapp
Summary: Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a versatile platform for biological and chemical assays. We introduce Fluoropor, a superhydrophobic fluorinated polymer foam, as a dielectric layer in DMF. Fluoropor exhibits stable wetting properties and low attachment of biomolecules, making it a promising material for wide application in DMF.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Andreas Goralczyk, Sofya Savicheva, Ramin Montazeri, Simona Fine, Fadoua Mayoussi, Pang Zhu, Kay Steffen, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Dorothea Helmer, Bastian E. Rapp
Summary: The study presents the first spray-coating fabrication of a superhydrophobic material called Fluoropor, which can be coated on various substrates including metals, tissues, concrete, and glass. The material has a porous structure on the micro-/nanoscale and does not rely on nanoparticles. It shows excellent self-cleaning ability, resistance against thermal and abrasive impact, and is applicable as self-cleaning coatings or oil-water separation membranes in real-world applications.
ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Analytical
Qingchuan Song, Yunong Chen, Peilong Hou, Pang Zhu, Dorothea Helmer, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Bastian E. Rapp
Summary: Pneumatic actuators are widely applied in device miniaturization, microactuators, soft robots, biomedical engineering, and complex control systems. The recent interest in multi-material actuators stems from their versatile applications. However, the fabrication of customized actuators using multi-material pneumatic actuators is mostly limited to deposition-based methodologies. This study demonstrates the use of vat-based stereolithography for multi-material 3D printing of pneumatic actuators with high resolution and deformable controllability.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Sagar Bhagwat, Andreas Goralczyk, Manuel Luitz, Lathif Sharieff, Sebastian Kluck, Ahmed Hamza, Niloofar Nekoonam, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Pegah Pezeshkpour, Bastian E. Rapp
Summary: Researchers have found that electrodepositing a conductive polypyrrole layer can effectively protect solid metal electrodes from alloying and corrosion with liquid metal alloys, providing a stable electrode material selection and protection method for applications such as microfluidic systems.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Fadoua Mayoussi, Ali Usama, Niloofar Nekoonam, Ivonne Knauer, David Boecherer, Bastian E. Rapp, Dorothea Helmer
Summary: Understanding the wettability and dewetting behavior of soft PDMS surfaces is crucial for the development of protective and repellent coatings. This study fabricated and characterized three soft PDMS surfaces with different elastic moduli and investigated their wetting behavior with liquids of varying surface tensions. The introduction of a thin PF layer was found to prevent adaptive wetting, enhance the dewetting properties, and decrease the sliding angles for water, ethylene glycol, and diiodomethane.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Qingchuan Song, Yunong Chen, Viacheslav Slesarenko, Pang Zhu, Ahmed Hamza, Peilong Hou, Dorothea Helmer, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Bastian E. E. Rapp
Summary: This research presents the first demonstration of digital light processing-printed shape-memory elastomers based on polyethylene glycol, which exhibit elasticity and stretchability in a wide temperature range below and above the transition temperature. The significant difference in Young's modulus at different temperatures allows for programming of the pneumatic actuators by heating and softening specific areas.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Manuel Luitz, Buesra M. Kirpat Konak, Ahmad Sherbaz, Richard Prediger, Niloofar Nekoonam, Barbara Di Ventura, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Bastian E. Rapp
Summary: Two-photon lithography is an advanced additive manufacturing technique that can produce high-resolution objects with micro-scale features. In this study, a process flow was developed to fabricate embedded microfluidic chips with nanoscale channels, and a method for washing the channels effectively was introduced. This technique allows for the rapid production of different types of microfluidic chips, reducing the time from design to manufacturing.
ADVANCED MATERIALS TECHNOLOGIES
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Dan Song, Ayman Husari, Frederik Kotz-Helmer, Pascal Tomakidi, Bastian E. Rapp, Juergen Ruhe
Summary: The popularity of two-photon direct laser writing in biological research is remarkable, but impurities in the structures pose challenges for biological applications. This study demonstrates the first use of high-precision 3D microstructures fabricated from a one-component material system as a 3D cell culture platform, showing excellent biocompatibility and cellular adhesion.
