| AVS 54th International Symposium | |
| Biomaterial Interfaces | Friday Sessions |
| Session BI-FrM |
| Session: | Microbioanalytical Systems |
| Presenter: | S.L. McArthur, University of Sheffield, UK |
| Authors: | M. Salim, University of Sheffield, UK B.J. O'Sullivan, University of Sheffield, UK G.J.S. Fowler, University of Sheffield, UK G. Mishra, University of Sheffield, UK P.C. Wright, University of Sheffield, UK S.L. McArthur, University of Sheffield, UK |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Miniaturisation has found its application in many biological, medical and pharmaceutical devices. Its advantages over macroscale systems include fast analysis time and lower sample consumption. These microfluidic devices use of electroosmotic flow (EOF) as the mean of fluid transport, although variations and inconsistencies in EOF may interfere with device performances. Plasma polymerisation can be used to deposit thin films of various chemical functionalities and properties. This study investigates the electroosmotic behaviour and stability of a range of different plasma polymerised and polymer grafted surfaces before and after contact with protein solutions. The results illustrate that plasma polymerised surfaces exhibit high stabilities, enabling EOF runs of more than 3 days without deterioration. Critically, EOF measurments of surfaces after contact with protein solutions illustrate significant changes in EOF with very low levels of protein adsorption. While this is detrimental to the function of the device, it does suggest that these measurements may be a sensitive probe for in channel biofouling.