title: Superhydrophobicity for antifouling microfluidic surfaces.
abstract: Fouling of surfaces is often problematic in microfluidic devices, particularly when using protein or -enzymatic solutions. Various coating methods have been investigated to reduce the tendency for protein molecules to adsorb, mostly relying on hydrophobic surface chemistry or the antifouling ability of -polyethylene glycol. Here we present the potential use of superhydrophobic surfaces to not only reduce the amount of surface contamination but also to induce self-cleaning under flow conditions. The methodology is presented in order to prepare superhydrophobic surface coatings having micro- and nanoscale feature dimensions, as well as a step-by-step guide to quantify adsorbed protein down to nanogram levels. The fabrication of these surfaces as coatings via silica sol-gel and copper nano-hair growth is presented, which can be applied within microfluidic devices manufactured from various materials.
authors: Biomimetic Materials, Hochschule Rhein-Waal, Rhine-Waal University of Applied Sciences, Kleve, Germany.
authors: N J
authors: NJ
authors: Shirtcliffe
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Roach
mesh_terms: D000327:Adsorption; D000818:Animals; D057219:Biofouling / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002417:Cattle; D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry; D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry; D057446:Hydrodynamics; D057927:Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine / Q000737:chemistry; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D003300:Copper