Abstract
The preparation of nanoparticles is essential in the application of many nanotechnologies and various preparation methods have been explored in the previous decades. Among them, iron oxide nanoparticles have been widely investigated in applications ranging from bio-imaging to bio-sensing due to their unique magnetic properties. Recently, microfluidic systems have been utilized for synthesis of nanoparticles, which have the advantages of automation, well-controlled reactions, and a high particle uniformity. In this study, a new microfluidic system capable of mixing, transporting and reacting was developed for the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles. It allowed for a rapid and efficient approach to accelerate and automate the synthesis of the iron oxide nanoparticles as compared with traditional methods. The microfluidic system uses micro-electro-mechanical-system technologies to integrate a new double-loop micromixer, two micropumps, and a microvalve on a single chip. When compared with large-scale synthesis systems with commonly-observed particle aggregation issues, successful synthesis of dispersed and uniform iron oxide nanoparticles has been observed within a shorter period of time (15 min). It was found that the size distribution of these iron oxide nanoparticles is superior to that of the large-scale systems without requiring any extra additives or heating. The size distribution had a variation of 16%. This is much lower than a comparable large-scale system (34%). The development of this microfluidic system is promising for the synthesis of nanoparticles for many future biomedical applications.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- BOE:
-
buffered oxide etchant
- DI:
-
deionized
- EMV:
-
electromagnetic valve
- MEMS:
-
micro-electro-mechanical-system
- PDMS:
-
polydimethylsiloxane
- PR:
-
photoresist
- TEM:
-
tunneling electron microscope
References
P.A. Auroux, D. Iossifidis, D.R. Reyes, A. Manz, Anal. Chem 74, 2637 (2002). doi:10.1021/ac020239t
J.W. Bulte, T. Douglas, B. Witwer, S.C. Zhang, E. Strable, B.K. Lewis et al., Nat. Biotechnol 19, 1141 (2001). doi:10.1038/nbt1201-1141
C.C. Chang, R.J. Yang, J. Micromechanics Microengineering 14, 550 (2004). doi:10.1088/0960-1317/14/4/016
G.X. Chen, M.H. Hong, Appl. Surf. Sci 228, 169 (2004). doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2004.01.007
F.Y. Cheng, C.H. Su, Y.S. Yang, C.S. Yeh, C.Y. Tsai, C.K. Wu, M.T. Wu, D.B. Shieh, Biomaterials 26, 729 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2004.03.016
C.H. Chiou, G.B. Lee, J. Micromechanics Microengineering 15, 109 (2005). doi:10.1088/0960-1317/15/1/017
P. Drake, H.J. Cho, P.S. Shih, C.H. Kao, K.F. Lee, C.H. Kuo et al., J. Mater. Chem 17, 4914 (2007). doi:10.1039/b711962c
J.B. Edel, R. Fortt, J.C. de Mello, A.J. de Mello, Chem. Commun 10, 1136 (2002). doi:10.1039/b202998g
R.H. Farahi, A. Passian, S. Zahrai, A.L. Lereu, T.L. Ferrell, T. Thundat, Ultramicroscopy 106, 815 (2006). doi:10.1016/j.ultramic.2005.12.018
B.L. Frankamp, N.O. Fischer, R. Hong, S. Srivastava, V.M. Rotello, Chem. Mater 18, 956 (2006). doi:10.1021/cm052205i
Q. Guo, X. Teng, S. Rahman, H. Yang, J. Am. Chem. Soc 125, 630 (2003). doi:10.1021/ja0275764
A.K. Gupta, M. Gupta, Biomaterials 26, 3995 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2004.10.012
I. Hironori, T. Kosuke, N. Takuya, O. Tetsuya, J. Colloid Interface Sci 314, 274 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2007.05.047
C.W. Huang, S.B. Huang, G.B. Lee, J. Micromechanics Microengineering 16, 2265 (2006). doi:10.1088/0960-1317/16/11/003
Y.M. Huh, Y.W. Jun, H.T. Song, S.J. Kim, J.S. Choi, J.H. Lee et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc 127, 12387 (2005). doi:10.1021/ja052337c
S.C. Jacobson, T.E. McKnight, J.M. Ramsey, Anal. Chem 71, 4455 (1999). doi:10.1021/ac990576a
W. Jiang, E. Papa, H. Fischer, S. Mardyani, W.C.W. Chan, Nat. Biotechnol 22, 607 (2004). doi:10.1038/nbt0504-607
S.K. Jones, J.G. Winter, B.N. Gray, Int. J. Hypertherm 18, 117 (2002). doi:10.1080/02656730110103519
M. Karhanek, J.T. Kemp, N. Pourmand, R.W. Davis, C.D. Webb, Nano Lett 5, 403 (2005). doi:10.1021/nl0480464
K.W. Kho, J.C.Y. Kah, C.G.L. Lee, C.J.R. Sheppard, Z.X. Shen, K.C. Soo et al., J. Mech. Med. Biol 7, 19 (2007). doi:10.1142/S021951940700211X
D.K. Kim, Y. Zhang, W. Voit, K.V. Rao, J. Kehr, B. Bjelke et al., Scr. Mater 44, 1713 (2001). doi:10.1016/S1359-6462(01)00870-3
J. Kim, J. Baek, H. Kim, K. Lee, S. Lee, Sens. Actuators A Phys 128, 7 (2006)
Q. Lan, C. Liu, F. Yang, S.Y. Liu, J. Xu, D. Sun, J. Colloid Interface Sci 310, 260 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.jcis.2007.01.081
M. Lattuada, T.A. Hatton, Langmuir 23, 2158 (2007). doi:10.1021/la062092x
K.H. Lee, Y.D. Su, S.J. Chen, F.G. Tseng, G.B. Lee, Biosens. Bioelectron 23, 466 (2007). doi:10.1016/j.bios.2007.05.007
C.U.I. Longlan, X.U. Hong, H.E. Ping, S. Keiko, Y. Yoshinori, G.U. Hongchen, J. Polym. Sci. A 45, 5285 (2007)
B. Michal, H. Daniel, T. Miroslava, J. Pavla, G. Katerina, L. Petr et al., Bioconjug. Chem 19, 740 (2008). doi:10.1021/bc700410z
T. Neuberger, B. Schöpf, H. Hofmann, M. Hofmann, B. von Rechenberg, J. Magn. Magn. Mater 293, 483 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.jmmm.2005.01.064
H. Nishibiraki, C.S. Kuroda, M. Maeda, N. Matsushita, H. Handa, M. Abe, J. Appl. Phys 97, 10Q919 (2005)
Q.A. Pankhurst, J. Connolly, S.K. Jones, J. Dobson, J. Phys., D. Appl. Phys 36, R167 (2003)
R. Peytavi, F.R. Raymond, D. Gagne, F.J. Picard, G. Jia, J. Zoval et al., Clin. Chem 51, 1836 (2005). doi:10.1373/clinchem.2005.052845
A. Senyei, K. Widder, G. Czerlinski, J. Appl. Phys 49, 3578 (1978). doi:10.1063/1.325219
D.G. Shchukin, I.L. Radtchenko, G.B. Sukhorukov, Mater. Lett 57, 1743 (2003). doi:10.1016/S0167-577X(02)01061-3
D.B. Shieh, F.Y. Cheng, C.H. Su, C.S. Yeh, M.T. Wu, C.Y. Tsai et al., Biomaterials 26, 7183 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2005.05.020
S.F. Si, C.H. Li, X. Wang, D.P. Yu, Q. Peng, Y.D. Li, Cryst. Growth Des 5, 391 (2005). doi:10.1021/cg0497905
S.H. Sun, H. Zeng, J. Am. Chem. Soc 124, 8204 (2002). doi:10.1021/ja026501x
H.Y. Tseng, C.H. Wang, W.Y. Lin, G.B. Lee, Biomed. Microdevices 9, 545 (2007). doi:10.1007/s10544-007-9062-6
C.H. Wang, G.B. Lee, Biosens. Bioelectron 21, 419 (2005). doi:10.1016/j.bios.2004.11.004
C.H. Wang, G.B. Lee, J. Micromechanics Microengineering 16, 341 (2006). doi:10.1088/0960-1317/16/2/019
Y.X. Wang, S.M. Hussain, G.P. Krestin, Eur. Radiol 11, 2319 (2001). doi:10.1007/s003300100908
S.H. Wang, X.Y. Shi, M. Van Antwerp, Z.Y. Cao, S.D. Swanson, X.D. Bi et al., Adv. Funct. Mater 17, 3043 (2007). doi:10.1002/adfm.200601139
C.H. Weng, C.C. Huang, C.S. Yeh, H.Y. Lei, G.B. Lee. J. Micromechanics Microengineering. In press (2008)
G.M. Whitesides, Nature 442, 368 (2006). doi:10.1038/nature05058
H.B. Xia, J. Yi, P.S. Foo, B. Liu, Chem. Mater 19, 4807 (2007)
C.S. Yeh, F.Y. Cheng, D.B. Shieh, C.L. Wu, R.O.C. Patent 202070; German Patent 102004035803 (2004)
Acknowledgements
The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support provided to this study by the National Science Council in Taiwan (NSC 96-2120-M-006-008, NSC 96-2815-C-006-004-E, NSC96-2628-E-006-238, NSC95-2221-E-006-012). The access provided to major fabrication equipment at the Center for Micro/Nano Technology Research, National Cheng Kung University is greatly appreciated.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lee, WB., Weng, CH., Cheng, FY. et al. Biomedical microdevices synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles using a microfluidic system. Biomed Microdevices 11, 161–171 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-008-9221-4
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10544-008-9221-4