Research Article

Toward Fabric-Based Flexible Microfluidic Devices: Pointed Surface Modification for pH Sensitive Liquid Transport

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Clemson University, 161 Sirrine Hall, Clemson, South Carolina 29634, United States
Department of Chemistry and Bimolecular Science, Clarkson University, 8 Clarkson Avenue, Potsdam, New York 13699, United States
§ Air Force Research Laboratory, Airbase Technologies Division, Airbase Sciences Branch, Tyndall AFB, Panama City, Florida 32403, United States
ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2012, 4 (9), pp 4541–4548
DOI: 10.1021/am3008664
Publication Date (Web): August 8, 2012
Copyright © 2012 American Chemical Society

Abstract

Abstract Image

Microfluidic fiber channels with switchable water transport are fabricated in flexible textile PET/PP materials using a preprogrammed yarn-based fabric and a yarn-selective surface modification method. The developed robust and scalable fabrication method is based on the selective functionalization of the PET yarns with an epoxide-containing polymer that is then followed by grafting patterns of different pH-sensitive polymers PAA [poly(acrylic acid) ] and P2VP [poly(2-vinyl pyridine)]. The selective functionalization of the fabric yields an array of amphiphilic channels that are constrained by hydrophobic PP boundaries. Aqueous solutions are transported in the amphiphilic channels by capillary forces where the direction of the liquid transport is defined by pH-response of the grafted polymers. The channels are fed with liquid through hydrophilic, pH insensitive PEG [polyethylene glycol] ports. The combination of the PAA and P2VP patterns in the amphiphilic channels is used to create pH-sensitive elements that redirect aqueous liquids toward PAA channels at pH > 4 and toward both PAA and P2VP channels at pH < 4. The system of pH-selective channels in the developed textile based microfluidic chip could find analytical applications and can be used for smart cloth.

Citation data is made available by participants in Crossref's Cited-by Linking service. For a more comprehensive list of citations to this article, users are encouraged to perform a search inSciFinder.

Explore by:

Metrics

Article Views: 867 Times
Received 15 May 2012
Date accepted 8 August 2012
Published online 8 August 2012
Published in print 26 September 2012
+
Altmetric Logo Icon More Article Metrics

This website uses cookies to improve your user experience. By continuing to use the site, you are accepting our use of cookies. Read the ACS privacy policy.

CONTINUE