Abstract
As more micro- and nanofluidic methodologies are developed for a growing number of diverse applications, it becomes increasingly apparent that the choice of substrate material can have a profound effect on the eventual performance of a device. This is due mostly to the high surface-to-volume ratio that exists within such small structures. In addition to the obvious limitations related to the choice of solvent, operating temperatures, and pressure, the method of fluidic pumping—in particular, an electrokinetics-based methodology using a combination of electro-osmotic and electrophoresis flows—can further complicate material choice. These factors, however, are only part of the problem; once chemicals or biological materials (e.g., proteins or cells) are introduced into a microfluidic system, surface characteristics will have a profound influence on the activity of such components, which will subsequently influence their performance. This article reviews the common types of materials that are currently used to fabricate microfluidic devices and considers how these materials may influence the overall performance associated with chemical and biological processing. Consideration will also be given to the selection of materials and surface modifications that can aid in exploiting the high surface properties to enhance process performance.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
A. Manz, J.C. Fettinger, E. Verpoorte, H. Ludi, H.M. Widmer, and D.J. Harrison, Trends Anal. Chem. 10 (1991) p. 144.
A. Manz and H. Becker, Eds., Microsystem Technology in Chemistry and Life Sciences (Springer, Berlin, 1998).
K.F. Jensen, Chem. Eng. Sci. 56 (2001) p. 293.
P.D.I. Fletcher, S.J. Haswell, E. Pombo-Villar, B.H. Warrington, P. Watts, SY.F. Wong, and X. Zhang, Tetrahedron 58 (2002) p. 4735.
T. Laurell, J. Nilsson, K. Jensen, D.J. Harrison, and J.P. Kutter, Eds., 8th Int. Conf. Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences (MicroTAS 2004) (Malmö, Sweden, September 26–30, 2004).
C. Wiles, P. Watts, and S.J. Haswell, Tetrahedron 61 (2005) p. 5209.
P. He, S.J. Haswell, and P.D.I. Fletcher, Lab Chip 4 (2004) p. 38.
C. Wiles, P. Watts, S.J. Haswell, and E. Pombo-Villar, Lab Chip 4 (2004) p. 171.
S.C. Terry, J.H. Jerman, and J.B. Angell, IEEE Trans. Electron. Devices ED-26 (1979) p. 1880.
T. McCreedy, Anal. Chim. Acta 427 (2001) p. 39.
W. Ehrfeld, V. Hessel, and H. Löwe, Microreactors: New Technology for Modern Chemistry, (Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, Germany, 2000) p. 11.
E. Lagally and R.A. Mathies, J. Phys. D Appl. Phys. 37 (2004) p. R245.
A.R. Grayson, A. Johnson, N. Flynn, Y. Li, M. Cima, and R. Langer, Proc. IEEE 92 (2004) p. 6.
C.H. Ahn, J.W. Choi, G. Beaucage, J.H. Nevin, J.B. Lee, A. Puntambekar, and J.Y. Lee, Proc. IEEE 92 (2004) p. 154.
P.D.I. Fletcher, S.J. Haswell, and X. Zhang, Lab Chip 1 (2001) p. 115.
P.D.I. Fletcher, S.J. Haswell, and X. Zhang, Lab Chip 2 (2002) p. 102.
J.Th.G. Overbeek, in Colloid Science, Vol. 1, Chap. V, edited by H.R. Kruyt (Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1952) p. 195.
C.L. Rice and R. Whitehead, J. Phys. Chem. 69 (1965) p. 4017.
R.J. Hunter, Zeta Potential in Colloid Science (Academic Press, London, 1981).
P.H. Paul, M.G. Garguilo, and D.J. Rakestraw, Anal. Chem. 70 (1998) p. 2459.
B.J. Harmon, I. Leesong, and F.E. Regnier, Anal. Chem. 66 (1994) p. 3797.
D.H. Patterson, B.J. Harmon, and F.E. Regnier, J. Chromatogr. A 732 (1996) p. 119.
W.L.W. Hau, D.W. Trau, N.J. Sucher, M. Wong, and Y. Zohar, J. Micromech. Microeng. 13 (2003) p. 272.
S.W. Hu, X. Ren, M. Bachman, C.E. Sims, G.P. Li, and N.L. Allbritton, Anal. Chem. 74 (2002) p. 4117.
S.D. Gillmor, B.J. Larson, J.M. Braun, C.E. Mason, L.E. Cruz-Barba, F. Denes, and M.G. Lagally, in Proc. 2nd Annu. IEEE-EMBS Spec. Top. Conf. on Microtechnologies in Medicine and Biology (Madison, Wis., 2002) p. 51.
J.L. Fritz and M.J. Owen, J. Adhesives 54 (1995) p. 33.
K. Handique, D.T. Burke, C.H. Mastrangelo, and M.A. Burns, Anal. Chem. 72 (2000) p. 4100.
T.W. Schneider, H.M. Schessler, K.M. Shaffer, J.M. Dumm, and L.A. Younce, Biomed. Microdev. 3 (4) (2001) p. 315.
S. Takayama, J.C. McDonald, E. Ostuni, M.N. Liang, P.J.A. Kenis, R.F. Ismagilov, and G.M. Whitesides, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 96 (1999) p. 5545.
J.-Y. Shiu and P.L. Chen, Adv. Mater. 17 (2005) p. 1866.
Z.L. Zhang, C. Crozatier, M.L. Berre, and Y. Chen, Microelectron. Eng. 78 (2005) p. 556.
N. Nikbin and P. Watts, Org. Process Res. Dev. 8 (2004) p. 942.
F. Svec, LC-GC Europe 18 (2004) p. 17.
D.S. Peterson, T. Rohr, F.K. Svec, and J.M.J. Frechet, Anal. Chem. 75 (2003) p. 5328.
Y.N. Yang, C. Li, J. Kameoka, K.H. Leeb, and H.G. Craighead, Lab Chip 5 (2005) p. 869.
M. Takagi, T. Maki, M. Miyahara, and K. Mae, Chem. Eng. J. 101 (2004) p. 269.
M.S. Munson, M.S. Hasenbank, E. Fu, and P. Yager, Lab Chip 4 (2004) p. 438.
M.S. Munson, K.R. Hawkins, M.S. Hasenbank, and P. Yager, Lab Chip 5 (2005) p. 856.
M. Madou, Fundamentals of Microfabrication (CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., 1997).
T. McCreedy, Trends Anal. Chem. 19 (2000) p. 396.
B.R.M. Al-Gailani and T. McCreedy, Chem. Commun. (2003) p. 120.
P.D.I. Fletcher, S.J. Haswell, P. Watts, and X. Zhang, Dekker Encyclopedia of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (Marcel-Dekker, New York, 2004) p. 1547.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, X., Haswell, S.J. Materials Matter in Microfluidic Devices. MRS Bulletin 31, 95–99 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2006.22
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2006.22