| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 748838 | Sensors and Actuators A: Physical | 2014 | 10 Pages |
•Polycarbonate (PC) assembly is formed under mild temperature at atmospheric pressure.•Aminosilane was anchored onto PC via urethane linkage, without plasma treatment.•PC–PC assembly was realized by forming siloxane (SiOSi) bond at two PC interface.•High-resolution microchannel with innate PC property is obtained by post-hydrolysis.•Plastic-based cell array is constructed for highly cost-effective sensor platform.
In this paper, we introduce a strategy for adhering two polycarbonate (PC) substrates by embossing them under relatively mild conditions via simple surface chemical pre-coating without plasma treatment. Bonding was achieved by anchoring aminosilanes, specifically those with primary amines, onto the surface of the PC through urethane linkages between the amine functionality of the silane coupling reagent and the carbonyl group of the PC. Next, the terminal silanol groups on the surfaces of the two PC substrates were cross-linked via the formation of SiOSi bonds at a slightly lower temperature (125 °C) than the glass transition temperature (Tg) of PC (145 °C) and under atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa). The chemically treated PC surface was characterized by analyzing water contact angle, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and fluorescence. The bond strength and reliability were investigated by performing pull strength test, static and dynamic leakage tests, and burst test. In addition, since the proposed bonding allowed physical detachment after the bonding, the assembly was used for the selective patterning of Escherichia coli (E. coli) on the PC surface, which proves the ability to use this technology to construct disposable plastic-based array platforms for cell studies and sensor construction in a highly cost-effective manner.
