Complete plastic nanofluidic devices for DNA analysis via direct imprinting with polymer stamps

• Main Authors: Jiahao Wu, Rattikan Chantiwas, Alborz Amirsadeghi, Steven A. Soper, Sunggook Park
• Other Authors: Louisiana State University
• Format: Article
• Published: 2018
• Subjects: Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry; Engineering
• Online Access: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/11475
• Institution: Mahidol University

Development of all polymer-based nanofluidic devices using replication technologies, which is a prerequisite for providing devices for a larger user base, is hampered by undesired substrate deformation associated with the replication of multi-scale structures. Therefore, most nanofluidic devices have been fabricated in glass-like substrates or in a polymer resist layer coated on a substrate. This letter presents a rapid, high fidelity direct imprinting process to build polymer nanofluidic devices in a single step. Undesired substrate deformation during imprinting was significantly reduced through the use of a polymer stamp made from a UV-curable resin. The integrity of the enclosed all polymer-based nanofluidic system was verified by a fluorescein filling experiment and translocation/stretching of λ-DNA molecules through the nanochannels. It was also found that the funnel-like design of the nanochannel inlet significantly improved the entrance of DNA molecules into nanochannels compared to an abrupt nanochannel/microfluidic network interface. © 2011 The Royal Society of Chemistry.