Integration of hydrogels with hard and soft microstructures.
Integration of hydrogels with hard and soft microstructures.
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水凝胶与硬和软微结构的整合。
DOI：
10.1166/jnn.2007.513
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发表时间：
2007
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Siegel,RonaldA
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lei,Ming;Ziaie,Babak;Nuxoll,Eric;Iván,Kristóf;Noszticzius,Zoltán;Siegel,RonaldA
水凝胶，即，水溶胀的聚合物网络已经被研究和利用了几十年。这些材料可以被动地支持质量传输，或者可以在其溶胀性质中主动响应，从而能够调节质量和流体传输以及化学机械致动。缓解率随着水凝胶尺寸的减小而增加。在本文中，我们提出了三个例子，将水凝胶纳入固体微结构允许加速其响应，并提供了新的功能。在第一个例子中，水凝胶被固定在薄硅膜内的微加工孔内。这种水凝胶在研究的条件下不具有溶胀响应，但在适当的条件下，它可以用作电解二极管的一部分。在第二个例子中，水凝胶在微悬臂梁下聚合，并且它们对pH或葡萄糖浓度的溶胀响应导致在显微镜下可观察到的梁的可变偏转。在第三个例子中，嵌入微制造瓣膜结构中的水凝胶的溶胀和收缩导致通过该瓣膜的流体运动的化学门控。在所有情况下，系统的小尺寸提高了其响应速度。
Hydrogels, i.e., water-swollen polymer networks, have been studied and utilized for decades. These materials can either passively support mass transport, or can actively respond in their swelling properties, enabling modulation of mass and fluid transport, and chemomechanical actuation. Response rates increase with decreasing hydrogel dimension. In this paper, we present three examples where incorporation of hydrogels into solid microstructures permits acceleration of their response, and also provides novel functional capabilities. In the first example, a hydrogel is immobilized inside microfabricated pores within a thin silicon membrane. This hydrogel does not have a swelling response under the conditions investigated, but under proper conditions it can be utilized as a part of an electrolytic diode. In the second example, hydrogels are polymerized under microcantilever beams, and their swelling response to pH or glucose concentration causes variable deflection of the beam, observable under a microscope. In the third example, swelling and shrinking of a hydrogel embedded in a microfabricated valve structure leads to chemical gating of fluid motion through that valve. In all cases, the small size of the system enhances its response rate.