Issue 13, 2019

Antifouling digital microfluidics using lubricant infused porous film

Abstract

Electrowetting-driven digital (droplet-based) microfluidics has a tremendous impact on lab-on-a-chip applications. However, the biofouling problem impedes the real applications of such digital microfluidics. Here we report antifouling digital microfluidics by introducing lubricant infused porous film to electrowetting (more exactly, electrowetting on dielectric or EWOD). Such film minimizes direct contact between droplets and the solid surface but provides liquid–liquid contact between droplets and the lubricant liquid, which thus prevents unspecific adsorption of biomolecules to the solid surface. We demonstrate the compatibility of the lubricant infused film with EWOD to transport bio droplets. This configuration shows robust and high performance even for long cyclic operations without fouling in a wide range of concentrations of protein solutions. In addition, a variety of conductive droplets, including deionized (DI) water, saline, protein solution, DNA solution, sheep blood, milk, ionic liquid and honey, are examined, similarly showing high performance in cyclic transportations. In addition, using the same electrode patterns used in EWOD, transportations of dielectric (non-conductive) droplets including light crude oil, propylene carbonate and alcohol are also achieved. Such capability of droplet handling without fouling will certainly benefit the practical applications of digital microfluidics in droplet handling, sampling, reaction, diagnosis in clinic medicine, biotechnology and chemistry fields.

Graphical abstract: Antifouling digital microfluidics using lubricant infused porous film

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Mar 2019
Accepted
30 May 2019
First published
31 May 2019

Lab Chip, 2019,19, 2275-2283

Author version available

Antifouling digital microfluidics using lubricant infused porous film

H. Geng and S. K. Cho, Lab Chip, 2019, 19, 2275 DOI: 10.1039/C9LC00289H

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