Laser fabrication of modular superhydrophobic chips for reconfigurable assembly and self-propelled droplet manipulation

Huan Wang; Yong-Lai Zhang; Dong-Dong Han; Wei Wang; Hong-Bo Sun

doi:10.1186/s43074-021-00033-1

Article Contents

Article Navigation > PhotoniX > 2021 > Accepted Manuscript

Huan Wang, Yong-Lai Zhang, Dong-Dong Han, Wei Wang, Hong-Bo Sun. Laser fabrication of modular superhydrophobic chips for reconfigurable assembly and self-propelled droplet manipulation[J]. PhotoniX. doi: 10.1186/s43074-021-00033-1

Citation:

PDF( 3859 KB)

Laser fabrication of modular superhydrophobic chips for reconfigurable assembly and self-propelled droplet manipulation

doi: 10.1186/s43074-021-00033-1

1.
State Key Laboratory of Integrated Optoelectronics, College of Electronic Science and Engineering, Jilin University, 2699 Qianjin Street, Changchun, 130012, China
2.
Hooke Instruments, Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, 130033, China
3.
State Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement Technology and Instruments, Department of Precision Instrument, Tsinghua University, Haidian, Beijing, 100084, China

Funds:

National Natural Science Foundation of China (61935008, 61522503, 61590930, 61775078, and 61605055).

National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFB1104300)

Received Date: 2021-04-09
Accepted Date: 2021-06-01

Available Online: 2021-08-11

Abstract

Abstract

Natural creatures that enables controllable liquid transport provides the inspiration for developing novel microfluidic devices by engineering functional surfaces with superwettability. However, towards microfluidic applications, the strict requirements of sophisticated droplet manipulation make it challenging to reach this end. In this work, we report a conceptually new self-propelled droplet manipulation strategy based on reconfigurable superhydrophobic chips. The modular droplet chip (MDC) is developed by laser embossing a series of superhydrophobic structures on elastomer jigsaws that act as functional units. MDC is potable since only gravity is used as the driving force for dynamic manipulation of liquid droplets, including droplets transporting, splitting, merging and bouncing without mass loss. The MDC demonstrated reasonable anti-cross-contamination property due to the water repellence of the superhydrophobicity. Modular assembly of MDC enables different chip functions including solution dilution, SERS detection, cell labeling and chemical synthesis. As a miniature and portable experimental platform, the MDC is promising for next-generation lab-on-a-chip systems.
- Superhydrophobic surface,
- Laser processing,
- Droplet chip,
- Droplet manipulation,
- On-chip analysis

FullText(HTML)

References(38)

References

[1]	Hol FJH, Dekker C. Zooming in to see the bigger picture: microfluidic and nanofabrication tools to study bacteria. Science. 2014;346:438.
[2]	Demello AJ. Control and detection of chemical reactions in microfluidic systems. Nature. 2006;442(7101):394–402. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05062.
[3]	Yager P, Edwards T, Fu E, Helton K, Nelson K, Tam MR, et al. Microfluidic diagnostic technologies for global public health. Nature. 2006;442(7101):412–8. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05064.
[4]	Craighead H. Future lab-on-a-chip technologies for interrogating individual molecules. Nature. 2006;442(7101):387–93. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature05061.
[5]	Wang H, Zhang YL, Wang W, Ding H, Sun HB. On-chip laser processing for the development of multifunctional microfluidic chips. Laser Photonics Rev. 2017;11(2):1600116. https://doi.org/10.1002/lpor.201600116.
[6]	Ng AHC, Chamberlain MD, Situ H, Lee V, Wheeler AR. Digital microfluidic immunocytochemistry in single cells. Nat Commun. 2015;6(1):7513. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms8513.
[7]	Ottesen EA, Hong JW, Quake SR, Leadbetter JR. Microfluidic digital PCR enables multigene analysis of individual environmental bacteria. Science. 2006;314(5804):1464–7. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1131370.
[8]	Tadmor AD, Ottesen EA, Leadbetter JR, Phillips R. Probing individual environmental bacteria for viruses by using microfluidic digital PCR. Science. 2011;333(6038):58–62. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1200758.
[9]	Abdelgawad M, Wheeler AR. The digital revolution: a new paradigm for microfluidics. Adv Mater. 2009;21(8):920–5. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.200802244.
[10]	Zhao B, Moore JS, Beebe DJ. Surface-directed liquid flow inside microchannels. Science. 2001;291(5506):1023–6. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.291.5506.1023.
[11]	Zahner D, Abagat J, Svec F, Fréchet JMJ, Levkin PA. A facile approach to superhydrophilic-superhydrophobic patterns in porous polymer films. Adv Mater. 2011;23(27):3030–4. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201101203.
[12]	You I, Kang SM, Lee S, Cho YO, Kim JB, Lee SB, et al. Polydopamine microfluidic system toward a two-dimensional, gravity-driven mixing device. Angewandte Chemie-Int Ed. 2012;51(25):6126–30. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.201200329.
[13]	Srinivasan V, Pamula VK, Fair RB. An integrated digital microfluidic lab-on-a-chip for clinical diagnostics on human physiological fluids. Lab Chip. 2004;4(4):310–5. https://doi.org/10.1039/b403341h.
[14]	Cho SK, Moon HJ, Kim CJ. Creating, transporting, cutting, and merging liquid droplets by electrowetting-based actuation for digital microfluidic circuits. J Microelectromech Syst. 2003;12:70–80.
[15]	Zhao B, Moore JS, Beebe DJ. Principles of surface-directed liquid flow in microfluidic channels. Anal Chem. 2002;74(16):4259–68. https://doi.org/10.1021/ac020269w.
[16]	Yang SY, Defranco JA, Sylvester YA, et al. Integration of a surface-directed microfluidic system with an organic electrochemical transistor array for multi-analyte biosensors. Lab Chip. 2009;9(5):704–8. https://doi.org/10.1039/B811606G.
[17]	Choi K, Ng AHC, Fobel R, et al. Digital microfluidics, cooks R G, Yeung E S, editor, annual review of analytical chemistry, Vol 5, Palo Alto: Annual Reviews; 2012. p. 413–40.
[18]	Bouaidat S, Hansen O, Bruus H, Berendsen C, Bau-Madsen NK, Thomsen P, et al. Surface-directed capillary system; theory, experiments and applications. Lab Chip. 2005;5(8):827–36. https://doi.org/10.1039/b502207j.
[19]	Genzer J, Efimenko K. Recent developments in superhydrophobic surfaces and their relevance to marine fouling: a review. Biofouling. 2006;22(5):339–60. https://doi.org/10.1080/08927010600980223.
[20]	Ng AHC, Li BB, Chamberlain MD, et al. Digital microfluidic cell culture, Yarmush M L, editor, annual review of biomedical engineering, Palo Alto: Annual Reviews; 2015. p. 91–112.
[21]	Zheng YM, Bai H, Huang ZB, et al. Directional water collection on wetted spider silk. Nature. 2010;463(7281):640–3. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08729.
[22]	Parker AR, Lawrence CR. Water capture by a desert beetle. Nature. 2001;414(6859):33–4. https://doi.org/10.1038/35102108.
[23]	Liu KS, Yao X, Jiang L. Recent developments in bio-inspired special wettability. Chem Soc Rev. 2010;39(8):3240–55. https://doi.org/10.1039/b917112f.
[24]	Bixler GD, Bhushan B. Fluid drag reduction and efficient self-cleaning with rice leaf and butterfly wing bioinspired surfaces. Nanoscale. 2013;5(17):7685–710. https://doi.org/10.1039/c3nr01710a.
[25]	Bixler GD, Bhushan B. Bioinspired rice leaf and butterfly wing surface structures combining shark skin and lotus effects. Soft Matter. 2012;8(44):11271–84. https://doi.org/10.1039/c2sm26655e.
[26]	Chen HW, Zhang PF, Zhang LW, et al. Continuous directional water transport on the peristome surface of Nepenthes alata. Nature. 2016;532(7597):85–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature17189.
[27]	Yong JL, Yang Q, Chen F, et al. A simple way to achieve superhydrophobicity, controllable water adhesion, anisotropic sliding, and anisotropic wetting based on femtosecond-laser-induced line-patterned surfaces. J Mater Chem A. 2014;2(15):5499–507. https://doi.org/10.1039/C3TA14711H.
[28]	Wang W, Liu YQ, Liu Y, Han B, Wang H, Han DD, et al. Direct laser writing of superhydrophobic PDMS elastomers for controllable manipulation via Marangoni effect. Adv Funct Mater. 2017;27(44):1702946. https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201702946.
[29]	Dong C, Jia YW, Gao J, et al. A 3D microblade structure for precise and parallel droplet splitting on digital microfluidic chips. Lab Chip. 2017;17(5):896–904. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6LC01539E.
[30]	Mertaniemi H, Jokinen V, Sainiemi L, Franssila S, Marmur A, Ikkala O, et al. Superhydrophobic tracks for low-friction, guided transport of water droplets. Adv Mater. 2011;23(26):2911–4. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201100461.
[31]	Mertaniemi H, Forchheimer R, Ikkala O, Ras RHA. Rebounding droplet-droplet collisions on superhydrophobic surfaces: from the phenomenon to droplet logic. Adv Mater. 2012;24(42):5738–43. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201202980.
[32]	Yi N, Huang B, Dong LN, et al. Temperature-induced coalescence of colliding binary droplets on superhydrophobic surface. Sci Rep. 2014;4:4303.
[33]	Chou SY, Yu CC, Yen YT, Lin KT, Chen HL, Su WF. Romantic story or raman scattering? Rose petals as ecofriendly, low-cost substrates for ultrasensitive surface-enhanced raman scattering. Anal Chem. 2015;87(12):6017–24. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.analchem.5b00551.
[34]	Pavliuk G, Pavlov D, Mitsai E, et al. Ultrasensitive SERS-based plasmonic sensor with analyte enrichment system produced by direct laser writing. Nanomaterials. 2020;10:49.
[35]	Zhou Z, He DL, Guo YN, et al. Photo-induced polymerization in ionic liquid medium: 1. Preparation of polyaniline nanoparticles. Polym Bull. 2009;62(5):573–80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00289-009-0038-y.
[36]	Malic L, Brassard D, Veres T, Tabrizian M. Integration and detection of biochemical assays in digital microfluidic LOC devices. Lab Chip. 2010;10(4):418–31. https://doi.org/10.1039/B917668C.
[37]	Koc Y, De Mello AJ, Mchale G, et al. Nano-scale superhydrophobicity: suppression of protein adsorption and promotion of flow-induced detachment. Lab Chip. 2008;8(4):582–6. https://doi.org/10.1039/b716509a.
[38]	Sun TL, Tan H, Han D, et al. No platelet can adhere - largely improved blood compatibility on nanostructured superhydrophobic surfaces. Small. 2005;1(10):959–63. https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.200500095.