Nanoporous Elements in Microfluidics for Multiscale Manipulation of Bioparticles

• Main Authors: Chen, Grace D. (Author), Fachin, Fabio (Contributor), Fernandez-Suarez, Marta (Author), Wardle, Brian L. (Contributor), Toner, Mehmet (Author)
• Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Contributor)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley Blackwell, 2013-09-25T18:50:37Z.
• Subjects: Article
• Online Access: Get fulltext

Author Manuscript 2011 July 22
Solid materials, such as silicon, glass, and polymers, dominate as structural elements in microsystems including microfluidics. Porous elements have been limited to membranes sandwiched between microchannel layers or polymer monoliths. This paper reports the use of micropatterned carbon-nanotube forests confined inside microfluidic channels for mechanically and/or chemically capturing particles ranging over three orders of magnitude in size. Nanoparticles below the internanotube spacing (80 nm) of the forest can penetrate inside the forest and interact with the large surface area created by individual nanotubes. For larger particles (>80 nm), the ultrahigh porosity of the nanotube elements reduces the fluid boundary layer and enhances particle-structure interactions on the outer surface of the patterned nanoporous elements. Specific biomolecular recognition is demonstrated using cells (≈10 μm), bacteria (≈1 μm), and viral-sized particles (≈40 nm) using both effects. This technology can provide unprecedented control of bioseparation processes to access bioparticles of interest, opening new pathways for both research and point-of-care diagnostics.
National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (U.S.) (Grant P41 EB002503)
United States. Department of State (Fulbright Science and Technology Award)