Surface Modification of Cyclic-Olefin-Copolymer (COC)-Based Microchannels for the Large-Scale Industrial Production of Droplet Microfluidic Devices

The copolymers of cycloolefin (COC), a type thermoplastic material, have been widely used for the large-scale industrial fabrication droplet microfluidic devices, which is often performed using hot-embossing or injection-molding techniques. generation droplets and uniformity sizes are significantly affected by surface wettability COC during pressure stability employed fluid pump operation. In order to alleviate effects undesirable variation on in COC-based simple modification procedure was applied hydrophobically modify surfaces microchannels production. consisted an oxygen plasma treatment polymer followed solution-phase reaction fluorocarbon solvent. experimental results demonstrate that following proposed modification, devices could stably generate microvolume water with small coefficient variation, even if dispersed phase (water) fluctuated. durability test regarding modified show hydrophobicity be sustained up four months, deteriorating time thereafter. Our study can provide potential solution useful guidance production various applications, including polymerase chain single-cell analysis.