Chemistry in microfluidic channels

Abstract

We have presented a method to perform chemical reactions under laminar flow in a microfluidic channel. The laboratory allows students to contrast the behavior of the reactions in the channel with bulk behavior. The fabrication procedure is simple and inexpensive, which allows students to make a microfluidic device without the complexity or cost of traditional photolithographic methods. In the future, instructors could use the device or the fabrication technique in more advanced classes for lowvolume sample handling or lab-on-a-chip detection systems. © 2011 American Chemical Society and Division of Chemical Education, Inc.