Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) surfaces can be functionalized with biotin groups by adding biotinylated phospholipids to the PDMS prepolymer before curing. The addition of beta-D-dodecyl-N-maltoside (DDM) in the solution blocks non-specific protein binding on these functionalized PDMS surfaces. We characterize the surface by measuring fluorescently labeled streptavidin binding. Single molecule tra...

This review describes microfluidic systems in poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) for biological studies. Properties of PDMS that make it a suitable platform for miniaturized biological studies, techniques for fabricating PDMS microstructures, and methods for controlling fluid flow in microchannels are discussed. Biological procedures that have been miniaturized into PDMS-based microdevices include i...

We present the fabrication and characteristics of monolithically integrated ink dyed poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) filters for optical sensing in disposable lab-on-a-chip. This represents a migration of auxillary functions onto the disposable chip with the goal of producing truly portable systems. Filters made from commercially available ink (Pelikan) directly mixed into PDMS oligomer without t...

We report a simple method to fabricate PDMS (polydimethylsiloxane) microwell arrays on glass by using a PDMS stamp to study cell-to-cell adhesion. In the cell-to-cell study, a glass substrate is required since glass has better cell attachment. The microwell arrays are replicated from an SU-8 master mold, and then are transferred to a glass substrate by lifting the PDMS stamp, followed by oxygen...

We investigate the possibility of using magnetorheological polydimethylsiloxane (MR-PDMS) spheres as micro-optical resonators. In particular, the effect of a magnetic field on the whispering gallery modes (WGM) of these resonators is studied. The applied field induces mechanical deformation, causing shifts in the WGM. The microspheres are made of PDMS with embedded magnetically polarizable part...

ABSTRACT Cellular contraction is often accompanied by oscillatory motion of several Hz. Accurate force measurement using Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) micropillar based bio-transducers calls for the appropriate material characterization of PDMS in the frequency domain. In this work, the complex modulus of PDMS was measured using a dynamic nanoindentation technique. An improved method was develope...

We report a strain sensing approach that utilizes wrinkled patterns on poly (dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) as an optical grating to measure thermally-induced strain of different materials. The mechanism for the strain sensing and the effect of PDMS grating on strain sensing are discussed. By bonding the PDMS grating onto a copper or silicon substrate, the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) of th...

Abstract Background The floral scents of plants play a key role in plant reproduction through the communication between and pollinators. Aquilegia as model species for studying evolution, however, there have been few studies on relationships pollination taxa. Methods In this study, three types solid-phase micro-extraction (SPME) fiber coatings (DVB/PDMS, CAR/PDMS, DVB/CAR/PDMS) were evaluated t...

Micro-patterned PDMS film was fabricated and combined with LED chip on board (COB) package to improve the emission uniformity of LED chip. The micro scale patterned sapphire substrate (PSS) was used as a mold to fabricate micro-cone patterned PDMS (MC-PDMS) film. A strong scattering effect from this MC-PDMS film can be verified by the high haze ratio and the Bi-directional Transmission effect. ...

Fouling initiated by nonspecific protein adsorption is a great challenge in biomedical applications, including biosensors, bioanalytical devices, and implants. Poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS), a popular material with many attractive properties for device fabrication in the biomedical field, suffers serious fouling problems from protein adsorption due to its hydrophobic nature, which limits the pr...