Nanoporous-based hydrophilic polymer microchannel using a spray layer-by-layer electrostatic nano-assembly

Abstract

A simple, versatile, cost-effective, and high-throughput spray layer-by-layer (LbL) electrostatic nano-assembly technology has been developed, characterized and applied to polymer microchannels with nanoporous surfaces sprayed on cyclic olefin copolymer (COC) for a capillary micropump or separator. The pumping capabilities achieved from the sprayed nanoporous surfaces were mainly due to the strong hydrophilic properties of the multi-coated bilayers of hydrophilic silica nanoparticles. The hydrophilic nature of nanoporous surface of the COC microchannel was characterized by measuring the length of a test liquid driven by the capillary forces produced through the microchannel. The spray LbL method developed in this work can be an innovative approach for the modification of various surfaces of polymer microchannels.