Simple replication methods for producing nanoslits in thermoplastics and the transport dynamics of double-stranded DNA through these slits

Rattikan Chantiwas; Mateusz L. Hupert; Swathi R. Pullagurla; Subramanian Balamurugan; Jesús Tamarit-López; Sunggook Park; Proyag Datta; Jost Goettert; Yoon-Kyoung Cho; Steven A. Soper

doi:10.1039/C0LC00096E

Simple replication methods for producing nanoslits in thermoplastics and the transport dynamics of double-stranded DNA through these slits†

Rattikan Chantiwas,^abe Mateusz L. Hupert,^ab Swathi R. Pullagurla,^a Subramanian Balamurugan,^a Jesús Tamarit-López,^f Sunggook Park,^bc Proyag Datta,^d Jost Goettert,^d Yoon-Kyoung Cho^e and Steven A. Soper*^abce

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* Corresponding authors

^a Department of Chemistry, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
E-mail: chsope@lsu.edu
Fax: +1 (225) 578-3458
Tel: +1 (225) 578-1527

^b Center for Bio-Modular Multi-Scale Systems, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

^c Department of Mechanical Engineering, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

^d Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA

^e School of Nano-Bioscience and Chemical Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea

^f Departamento de Quimica, Instituto de Reconocimiento Molecular y Desarrollo Tecnologico, Universidad Politecnica de Valencia, Camino de Vera s/n, Valencia, Spain

Abstract

Mixed-scale nano- and microfluidic networks were fabricated in thermoplastics using simple and robust methods that did not require the use of sophisticated equipment to produce the nanostructures. High-precision micromilling (HPMM) and photolithography were used to generate mixed-scale molding tools that were subsequently used for producing fluidic networks into thermoplastics such as poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA, cyclic olefin copolymer, COC, and polycarbonate, PC. Nanoslit arrays were imprinted into the polymer using a nanoimprinting tool, which was composed of an optical mask with patterns that were 2–7 µm in width and a depth defined by the Cr layer (100 nm), which was deposited onto glass. The device also contained a microchannel network that was hot embossed into the polymer substrate using a metal molding tool prepared via HPMM. The mixed-scale device could also be used as a master to produce a polymer stamp, which was made from polydimethylsiloxane, PDMS, and used to generate the mixed-scale fluidic network in a single step. Thermal fusion bonding of the cover plate to the substrate at a temperature below their respective T_g was accomplished by oxygen plasma treatment of both the substrate and cover plate, which significantly reduced thermally induced structural deformation during assembly: ∼6% for PMMA and ∼9% for COC nanoslits. The electrokinetic transport properties of double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) through the polymeric nanoslits (PMMA and COC) were carried out. In these polymer devices, the dsDNA demonstrated a field-dependent electrophoretic mobility with intermittent transport dynamics. DNA mobilities were found to be 8.2 ± 0.7 × 10⁻⁴ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ and 7.6 ± 0.6 × 10⁻⁴ cm² V⁻¹ s⁻¹ for PMMA and COC, respectively, at a field strength of 25 V cm⁻¹. The extension factors for λ-DNA were 0.46 in PMMA and 0.53 in COC for the nanoslits (2–6% standard deviation).

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Simple replication methods for producing nanoslits in thermoplastics and the transport dynamics of double-stranded DNA through these slits†

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Simple replication methods for producing nanoslits in thermoplastics and the transport dynamics of double-stranded DNA through these slits

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