Dynamic modulation of chemical concentration in an aqueous droplet.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Microscopy, Electron, Transmission↗
Biomedical subjects
Jason S Kuo
Publications and source records attributed to Jason S Kuo.
Effects of ultrasmall orifices on the electrogeneration of femtoliter-volume aqueous droplets.
The ability to generate individual picoliter- and femtoliter-volume aqueous droplets on demand is useful for encapsulating and chemically manipulating discrete chemical and biological samples. This paper characterizes the effects of orifice dimensions and material choices on generating such droplets in an immiscible oil phase by using single high-voltage pulses with various amplitudes and durations. We have examined microfluidic orifices as small as 1.7 microm in equivalent radii and found that the electrohydrodynamic jet lengths and the subsequent formation of droplets are affected by the axial aspect ratios of the orifices (length of an orifice divided by its equivalent radius). As higher voltages were used to compensate for the increased capillary pressure and hydrodynamic resistance in ultrasmall orifices, we observed secondary jet protrusions and droplet formations that were not of classical electrohydrodynamic origin. The droplets generated from secondary jets traveled at relatively lower velocities as compared to those of electrohydrodynamic origin, and these slow individual droplets are potentially more useful for applications in microscale chemical reactions.
Electrochemistry↗
Proton permeation into single vesicles occurs via a sequential two-step mechanism and is heterogeneous.
This article describes the first single-vesicle study of proton permeability across the lipid membrane of small (approximately 100 nm) uni- and multilamellar vesicles, which were composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (POPC). To follow proton permeation into the internal volume of each vesicle, we encapsulated carboxyfluorescein, a pH-sensitive dye whose fluorescence was quenched in the presence of excess protons. A microfluidic platform was used for easy exchange of high- and low-pH solutions, and fluorescence quenching of single vesicles was detected with single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. Upon solution exchange and acidification of the extravesicular solution (from pH 9 to 3.5), we observed for each vesicle a biphasic decay in fluorescence. Through single-vesicle analysis, we found that rate constants for the first decay followed a Poisson distribution, whereas rate constants for the second decay followed a normal distribution. We propose that proton permeation into each vesicle first arose from formation of transient pores and then transitioned into the second decay phase, which occurred by the solubility-diffusion mechanism. Furthermore, for the bulk population of vesicles, the decay rate constant and vesicle intensity (dependent on size) correlated to give an average permeability coefficient; however, for individual vesicles, we found little correlation, which suggested that proton permeability among single vesicles was heterogeneous in our experiments.
Cell Membrane Permeability↗
Fast initiation of chemical reactions with laser-induced breakdown of a nanoscale partition.
This letter describes a new strategy for initiating a chemical reaction that is based on the laser-induced breakdown of a nanoscopic barrier, which physically separates the reactants in space. Because the breakdown of the barrier is fast ( approximately 0.3 micros) and owing to the nanometer dimension of the barrier, the reactants can be brought together and the reaction can be initiated rapidly. The time scale most suited for this method (from microseconds to tens of milliseconds) bridges nicely between the faster time scales that are accessible mostly with laser-based triggering experiments and the slower time scales that are studied most frequently with flow-based devices.
Kinetics↗
Rapid prototyping of thermoset polyester microfluidic devices.
This paper presents a simple procedure for the fabrication of thermoset polyester (TPE) microfluidic systems and discusses the properties of the final devices. TPE chips are fabricated in less than 3 h by casting TPE resin directly on a lithographically patterned (SU-8) silicon master. Thorough curing of the devices is obtained through the combined use of ultraviolet light and heat, as both an ultraviolet and a thermal initiator are employed in the resin mixture. Features on the order of micrometers and greater are routinely reproduced using the presented procedure, including complex designs and multilayer features. The surface of TPE was characterized using contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Following oxygen plasma treatment, the hydrophilicity of the surface of TPE increases (determined by contact angle measurements) and the proportion of oxygen-containing functional groups also increases (determined by XPS), which indicates a correlated increase in the charge density on the surface. Native TPE microchannels support electroosmotic flow (EOF) toward the cathode, with an average electroosmotic mobility of 1.3 x 10(-4) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) for a 50-microm square channel (20 mM borate at pH 9); following plasma treatment (5 min at 30 W and 0.3 mbar), EOF is enhanced by a factor of 2. This enhancement of the EOF from plasma treatment is stable for days, with no significant decrease noted during the 5-day period that we monitored. Using plasma-treated TPE microchannels, we demonstrate the separation of a mixture of fluorescein-tagged amino acids (glycine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid). TPE devices are up to 90% transparent (for approximately 2-mm-thick sample) to visible light (400-800 nm). The compatibility of TPE with a wide range of solvents was tested over a 24-h period, and the material performed well with acids, bases, alcohols, cyclohexane, n-heptane, and toluene but not with chlorinated solvents (dichloromethane, chloroform).
Microfluidic Analytical Techniques↗
Parametric investigation on the effect of channel topologies on electrophoretic separations.
This paper presents a systematic study that illustrates the importance of the topologies of microchannels on electrokinetically based separation. Using theoretical and numerical analyses, we designed and showed that topologies that significantly increased the surface-to-volume ratio of the channel can provide dramatic improvement in the ability of the channel both to dissipate the heat generated by Joule heating and to reduce the axial dispersion associated with the siphoning effect. The incremental benefit and tradeoff of geometric complexity was also evaluated. The improvement offered by topographically patterned channels, such as finned structures, is especially pertinent in the development of preparative or semi-preparative scale electrokinetically driven separations, such as capillary electrophoresis and capillary electrochromatography, in which large cross sections of channels are required to achieve the needed volumetric throughput.
Electrophoresis↗
High-power blue/UV light-emitting diodes as excitation sources for sensitive detection.
With advances in III-V nitride manufacturing processes, high-power light-emitting diode (LED) chips in the blue and UV wavelengths are now commercially available at reasonable cost and can be used as excitation sources in optical sensing. We describe the use of these high-power blue and UV LEDs for sensitive fluorescence detection, including chip-based flow cytometry, capillary electrophoresis (CE), and single-molecule imaging. By using a blue LED with a focusable power of approximately 40 mW as the excitation source for fluorescent beads, we demonstrate a simple chip-based bead sorter capable of enriching the concentration of green fluorescent beads from 63% to 95%. In CE experiments, we show that a mixture of analyte solution containing 30 nM 6-carboxyrhodamine 6G and 10 nM fluorescein can be separated and detected with excellent signal-to-noise ratio (approximately 17 for 10 nM fluorescein) using the collimated emission from a blue LED; the estimated mass detection limit was approximately 200 zmol for fluorescein. We also demonstrated ultrasensitive fluorescence imaging of single rhodamine 123 molecules and individual lambda-DNA molecules. At a small fraction of the cost of an Ar+ laser, high-power blue and UV LEDs are effective alternatives for lasers and arc lamps in fluorescence applications that demand portability, low cost, and convenience.
Cells↗
Microfluidic systems: high radial acceleration in microvortices.
Microfluidic systems can conveniently be used for rapid analysis of biological samples. Here we describe a single re-circulating flow, or microvortex, that can generate a maximum fluid rotational velocity of up to 12 m s(-1) and a corresponding radial acceleration in excess of 10(6)g. Such microvortices may be exploited in centrifugal microdevices to investigate the effects of high radial acceleration on biological and chemical processes.
Journal Article↗
Selective electroless and electrolytic deposition of metal for applications in microfluidics: fabrication of a microthermocouple.
This paper describes a general strategy for the fabrication of a microthermocouple based on the spatially defined electroless deposition of metal, followed by annealing and electroplating. We present scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy characterizations of the deposition and annealing process, as well as the performance of the microfabricated Ni-Ag thermocouple. The temperature-voltage curve for this Ni-Ag microthermocouple is linear over the range 0-50 degrees C with a slope of 61.9 degrees C mV(-1). The sensitivity of our temperature measurement, which is limited by the uncertainty of our calibration curve, is approximately 1 degrees C. The optimum figure of merit (Z(opt)) is 1.0 x 10(-5) for this type of Ag-Ni thermocouple. We have fabricated microthermocouples ranging in size from 50 to 300 microm. The microthermocouple was integrated into microchannels and used to measure the in-channel temperature rise caused by the following: (1) a simple acid-base reaction, HCl + NaOH --> H2O + NaCl, and (2) an enzyme-catalyzed biochemical reaction, H2O2 + catalase --> H2O + 1/2 O2. We have also profiled the temperature increase in the presence of electroosmotic flow for a 100-, 200-, and 300-microm channel.
Journal Article↗