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Optimizing piezoelectric inkjet printing of silica sols for biosensor production

  • Original Paper: Sol–gel and hybrid materials for biological and health (medical) applications
  • Published:
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Abstract

The inkjet printing of biocompatible silica sols has gained popularity, both for biosensor production and development of holographic devices. However, there still remain significant issues related to premature clogging of inkjet printheads when printing aqueous silica sols. To better understand the causes of clogging of piezoelectric inkjet nozzles, printing studies were coupled with studies of colloidal stability along with silica deposition on surfaces, both under normal flow and piezoelectrically driven oscillating flow through an inkjet cartridge. Our studies show that clogging most likely results from deposition of silica colloids onto the internal surfaces of the printhead, followed by displacement of micron-sized pieces of the deposited material upon piezoelectric deformation of the printhead surface, which then block the nozzles of the printhead. Based on this result, we formulated a low-pH sol derived from sodium silicate and evaluated its colloidal stability, binding to silica surfaces and resistance to clogging of inkjet nozzles under normal and voltage-driven oscillating flow. We show that silica sols with a pH of 3.1 provide optimal printing behavior while allowing reproducible printing of spatially controlled silica patterns on paper to produce enzyme-based biosensing devices.

Use of low-pH-biocompatible silica sols allows long-term piezoelectric inkjet printing of silica inks without clogging, allowing high-throughput production of printed biosensors

Highlights

  • Oscillations during jetting can cause printhead clogging when inkjet printing silica sols.

  • Use of low-pH sols (pH 3.1) allows printing with minimal clogging of nozzles.

  • Low-pH silica sols can be printed reproducibly to create enzyme-based paper sensor strips.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank Chris Butcher (Canadian Center for Electron Microscopy, McMaster University) and Marcia Reid (McMaster Health Sciences) for sample preparation and training. The authors also thank the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for funding through the SENTINEL Bioactive Paper Network. We also thank the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation for Infrastructure funding to the Biointerfaces Institute. YL acknowledges funding from the China Scholarship Council (CSC). JDB holds the Canada Research Chair in Bioanalytical Chemistry and Biointerfaces. RP holds the Canada Research Chair in Interfacial Technologies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L7, Canada

    Yuanhua Li, Omar Dahhan, Carlos D. M. Filipe & Robert H. Pelton

  2. Biointerfaces Institute, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L7, Canada

    John D. Brennan

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  1. Yuanhua Li
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  2. Omar Dahhan
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  3. Carlos D. M. Filipe
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  4. John D. Brennan
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  5. Robert H. Pelton
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Correspondence to John D. Brennan or Robert H. Pelton.

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Li, Y., Dahhan, O., Filipe, C.D.M. et al. Optimizing piezoelectric inkjet printing of silica sols for biosensor production. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 87, 657–664 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-018-4762-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-018-4762-3

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