Modular polymer biosensors by solvent immersion imprint lithography. Issue 1 (9th November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Moore, Jayven S.; Xantheas, Sotiris S.; Grate, Jay W.; Wietsma, Thomas W.; Gratton, Enrico; Vasdekis, Andreas E.
• Is Part Of: Journal of polymer science. Volume 54:Issue 1(2016)
• Page Start: 98
• Page End: 103
• Publication Date: 2015-11-09
• Subjects: films -- gels -- imaging -- optics -- photophysics -- sensors; 547
• DOI: 10.1002/polb.23961
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0887-6266

Abstract

ABSTRACT: We recently demonstrated Solvent Immersion Imprint Lithography (SIIL), a rapid benchtop microsystem prototyping technique, including polymer functionalization, imprinting and bonding. Here, we focus on the realization of planar polymer sensors using SIIL through simple solvent immersion without imprinting. We describe SIIL's impregnation characteristics, including an inherent mechanism that not only achieves practical doping concentrations, but their unexpected 2‐fold enhancement compared to the immersion solution. Subsequently, we developed and characterized optical sensors for detecting molecular O2 . To this end, a substantially high dynamic range is reported, including its control through the immersion duration, a manifestation of SIIL's modularity. Overall, SIIL exhibits the potential of improving the operating characteristics of polymer sensors, while significantly accelerating their prototyping, as it requires a few seconds of processing and no need for substrates or dedicated instrumentation. These are critical for O2 sensing as probed by way of example here, as well as any polymer permeable reactant. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys.2016, 54, 98–103 Abstract : Solvent immersion imprint lithography (SIIL) enables complete microsystem prototyping in less than 1 minute with no instrumentation requirements. SIIL can also enable planar polymer biosensors through impregnation by simple solvent immersion. An unexpected solvent transport mechanism enables practical impregnation concentrations and thus functional O2 sensors of enhanced sensitivity and dynamic range. Overall, SIIL‐made sensors necessitate no substrates or instrumentation, with typical processing times of less than 30 seconds.