title: Simple, rapid and, cost-effective fabrication of PDMS electrophoresis microchips using poly(vinyl acetate) as photoresist master.
abstract: This study describes a simple, rapid, and cost-effective fabrication of PDMS electrophoresis microchips using poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) emulsion as photoresist master. High-relief microfluidic structures were defined on poly(vinyl acetate) previously deposited on printed circuit boards surfaces without cleanroom facilities and sophisticated instrumentation. After a UV exposure, channels with heights ranging from 30 to 140 μm were obtained by controlling the emulsion mass deposited on the master surface. The developing stage was performed using water rather than the organic solvents that are applied for conventional masks. The surface morphology was characterized by optical imaging, profilometry, and SEM. Based on the achieved results, the proposed method offers suitable reproducibility for the prototyping of electrophoresis microchips in PDMS. The feasibility of the resulting PDMS electrophoresis chips was successfully demonstrated with the separation of major inorganic cations within 100 s using a contactless conductivity detection system. The separation efficiencies ranged from ca. 67 900 to 125 600 plates/m. Due to the satisfactory performance and simplified instrumentation, we believe this fabrication protocol presents potential to be implemented in any chemical, biochemical, or biological laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia/GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eulício O
authors.initials: EO
authors.lastname: Lobo-Júnior
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia/GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ellen F M
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Gabriel
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia/GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Dos Santos
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia/GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabrício R
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: de Souza
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia/GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wanderson D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais, Campinas/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Renato S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.affiliation: Laboratório Nacional de Nanotecnologia, Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais, Campinas/SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Angelo L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gobbi
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia/GO, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wendell K T
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Coltro
mesh_terms: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry*; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D046209:Electrophoresis, Microchip / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design / Q000379:methods*; D009757:Nylons / Q000737:chemistry*; D011145:Polyvinyls / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D009757:Nylons; D011145:Polyvinyls; C085707:poly(dimethylsiloxane)-polyamide copolymer; C013215:polyvinyl acetate
keywords: Electrochemical detection; High-relief polymeric master; Microfabrication; Microfluidic platforms; Replica-molding process