Issue 10, 2008

Biocompatible surfactants for water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions

Abstract

Drops of water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions have great potential for compartmentalizing both in vitro and in vivo biological systems; however, surfactants to stabilize such emulsions are scarce. Here we present a novel class of fluorosurfactants that we synthesize by coupling oligomeric perfluorinated polyethers (PFPE) with polyethyleneglycol (PEG). We demonstrate that these block copolymer surfactants stabilize water-in-fluorocarbon oil emulsions during all necessary steps of a drop-based experiment including drop formation, incubation, and reinjection into a second microfluidic device. Furthermore, we show that aqueous drops stabilized with these surfactants can be used for in vitrotranslation (IVT), as well as encapsulation and incubation of single cells. The compatability of this emulsion system with both biological systems and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic devices makes these surfactants ideal for a broad range of high-throughput, drop-based applications.

Graphical abstract: Biocompatible surfactants for water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
21 Apr 2008
Accepted
25 Jul 2008
First published
02 Sep 2008

Lab Chip, 2008,8, 1632-1639

Biocompatible surfactants for water-in-fluorocarbon emulsions

C. Holtze, A. C. Rowat, J. J. Agresti, J. B. Hutchison, F. E. Angilè, C. H. J. Schmitz, S. Köster, H. Duan, K. J. Humphry, R. A. Scanga, J. S. Johnson, D. Pisignano and D. A. Weitz, Lab Chip, 2008, 8, 1632 DOI: 10.1039/B806706F

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