Droplet-Based Analytical Chemistry Platforms Using Superhydrophobic and Superamphiphobic Surfaces

我们实验室对开发用于化学分析的新的分离和检测方法很感兴趣。化学分析是各种学科(如环境、医学和“组学”相关研究领域)发现的基础。分析系统的发展速度更快，需要的样品更少，灵敏度更高，这对探测各种基质中的生物和化学系统变得至关重要。我们的实验室将开发基于液滴的(数字)微流控平台，该平台将低摩擦表面(超疏水和超两亲)与基于磁性和重力的液滴驱动相结合，并将其应用于快速/灵敏的化学分析。我的项目将涉及用于低摩擦表面涂层的新型无机和聚合物基材料的合成和表征，并探索新的微制造方法，使设备制造变得容易(例如，激光微加工)。超疏水/两亲性表面的特征是极高的接触角(150°)，当液滴(例如水)放置在其表面时。超疏水/两亲性是表面化学和表面形貌共同作用的结果。最小的表面附着力使您能够通过对液滴施加较小的力(&lt；1微N)来操纵液滴。通过将超顺磁性粒子引入低摩擦表面的水滴中，并施加磁场(速度超过50厘米/秒！)，可以快速驱动液滴。或者，我们已经证明，即使液滴的磁化率比超顺磁性粒子的磁化率低约10,000倍，也可以使用溶解的顺磁性盐来操纵液滴。顺磁性粒子可以与蛋白质、固定相或抗体一起功能化，以在单个液滴中进行化学作用。通过这种方式，可以在化学分析之前进行多重样品制备(例如，固相萃取、免疫捕获或衍生化)。我们将利用我的研究小组和我们的合作者在质谱学(MALDI和DESI-MS)、荧光、电化学和吸光度检测方面的经验来分析各种分析物(例如生物标志物、生物合成酶、环境污染物等)。在样品制备后的液滴中。我们的实验室与许多学术和行业合作伙伴(如NSERC Engage、Strategic和Create计划)合作，进一步加强我的研究计划中参与的研究人员的培训，并使其国际化。结合微制造、微流体、质谱学和表面科学的经验，将为学生提供与工业、政府和学术部门相关的技能。

Our laboratory is interested in the development of novel separation and detection methods for chemical analysis. Chemical analysis forms the basis for discovery in a wide variety of disciplines (e.g. environmental, medical and “omics” related research areas). The development of analysis systems that are faster, require less sample with increased sensitivity are in constant demand and become critical to probing e.g. biological and chemical systems in a variety of matrices. Our laboratory will develop droplet-based (digital) microfluidic platforms that combine low friction surfaces (superhydrophobic and super amphiphobic) with both magnetic and gravity-based droplet actuation and apply them to rapid/sensitive chemical analysis. My program will involve the synthesis and characterization of novel inorganic and polymer-based materials for low friction surface coatings and probe novel microfabrication methodologies to enable facile device fabrication (e.g. laser micromachining). Superhydrophobic/amphiphobic surfaces are characterized by extremely high contact angles (150 o) when droplets, of for example water, are placed upon their surface. The superhydrophobicity/amphiphobicity is generated through a combination of both surface chemistry and surface topography. The minimal surface adhesion enables the manipulation of droplets through the application of small forces (< 1 µN) on the droplet. A droplet can be rapidly actuated by introducing superparamagnetic particles to an aqueous droplet on a low friction surface, and applying a magnetic field (with speeds in excess of 50 cm/sec!). Alternatively we have shown that droplets can be manipulated using dissolved paramagnetic salts even though their magnetic susceptibility is approximately 10,000X less than that of the superparamagnetic particles. Paramagnetic particles can be functionalized with proteins, stationary phases, or with antibodies to conduct chemistry within the individual droplets. In this way multiplexed sample preparation prior to chemical analysis can be conducted (e.g. solid phase extraction, immuno-capture or derivatization). We will leverage my research group's and our collaborator's experience in mass spectrometry (MALDI and DESI-MS), fluorescence, electrochemical and absorbance detection to analyze of a variety of analytes (e.g. biomarkers, biosynthetic enzymes, environmental contaminants, etc.) within droplets following sample preparation. Our laboratory collaborates with a number of academic and industrial partners (e.g. NSERC Engage, Strategic and CREATE programs) to further augment and internationalize the training of researchers involved within my research program. The combination of experiences in microfabrication, microfluidics, mass spectrometry and surface science will provide students with a skill set relevant to the industrial, governmental and academic sectors.