RUI: Modification and characterization of polymer surfaces with applications in microfluidic neural circuit development

RUI：聚合物表面的改性和表征及其在微流体神经回路开发中的应用

• 批准号: 1305808
• 负责人: William Hughes
• 金额: $ 31.32万
• 依托单位: James Madison University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-06-01 至 2017-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1305808&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RUI; Modification; characterization; polymer; surfaces

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) project will address developing a fundamental understanding of how certain hydrohalocarbon solvents can be used to activate polymeric surfaces to significantly improve the adhesion of vapor deposited noble metal thin films such as Au and Pt which are technologically important in the microfabrication of sensors and interconnects in polymer microdevices. Work on this project will answer the following broad question: Which range of polymers, solvents and metal interactions can be improved through the creation of a Lewis acid-base adduct between the polymer surface, the organic solvent, and the deposited metal? In order to address this question, a range of experimental and theoretical tools will be used to predict, design and optimize experimental conditions resulting in polymeric surfaces which promote improved metal adhesion. Successful adhesion of Au and Pt thin films have been demonstrated with poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) exposed to a variety of halogenated solvents. Polymer surfaces with a range of similar backbone and side-chain chemistries compared to PMMA will be explored, as will materials that have a different chemical composition, but may exhibit similar Lewis base properties compared to PMMA. The patterning of polymer surfaces will be studied to determine if solvent activation methods can be used in conjunction with soft-lithographic techniques to produce patterned features compatible with microfluidic devices that can be used to simulate neural circuit development and function on a polymer microchip. Materials properties will be studied using a combination of surface analysis and microscopy techniques including X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) and spectroscopic and imaging techniques such as optical and electron microscopy and spectroscopic ellipsometry. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) project will study the adhesion of metal films onto polymeric surfaces with applications in polymer microdevices. Researchers at James Madison University and the University of Virginia will train undergraduate research students in a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative environment. This project will involve the training of up to fifteen undergraduate researchers over the duration of the program. The students will be exposed to materials science issues of the processing, modification and characterization of polymer thin films, surfaces and interfaces. The students funded in this program will be expected to participate in activities related to the NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in chemistry at JMU to become part of a "community of scholars" with up to sixty other summer undergraduate researchers each summer in chemistry, physics, engineering and materials science at JMU. They will have further opportunities to interact with graduate researchers in biology through an exchange program with undergraduates from JMU going to UVa for one summer and visa versa. Finally, this program will fund two high school teachers to work in a research environment to learn how materials science can be applied to the secondary school chemistry or physics curriculum. In summary, this program helps serve to broadly impact the pipeline of future scientists from the high school through graduate level with students trained in cutting-edge polymer materials science topics with biological applications of polymer surfaces.

TECHNICAL SUMMARYThis Research at Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) project will address developing a fundamental understanding of how certain hydrohalocarbon solvents can be used to activate polymeric surfaces to significantly improve the adhesion of vapor deposited noble metal thin films such as Au and Pt which are technologically important in the microfabrication of sensors and interconnects in polymer microdevices.该项目的工作将回答以下广泛的问题：通过在聚合物表面，有机溶剂和沉积金属之间产生刘易斯酸碱加合物，可以改善哪些聚合物，溶剂和金属相互作用？为了解决这个问题，将使用一系列的实验和理论工具来预测，设计和优化实验条件，从而导致聚合物表面，从而促进改善金属粘附力。已通过暴露于多种卤代溶剂的聚（PMMA）（PMMA）证明了AU和PT薄膜的成功粘附。与PMMA相比，将探索具有一系列类似的主链和侧链化学的聚合物表面，与PMMA相比，具有不同化学成分的材料也将表现出不同的Lewis碱基特性。将研究聚合物表面的模式，以确定溶剂激活方法是否可以与软刻痕技术结合使用，以生成与微流体兼容的图案化特征，可用于模拟神经电路的开发和在聚合物微芯片上的功能。将使用表面分析和显微镜技术（包括X射线光电光谱法（XPS），原子力显微镜（AFM），减弱总反射红外光谱（ATR-FTIR）以及光学和电子显微镜和外观显微镜和外观光学显微镜和外观图谱层的材料特性研究。非技术摘要本科机构（RUI）项目的研究将研究金属膜在聚合物微发频中应用的聚合物表面上的粘附。詹姆斯·麦迪逊大学（James Madison University）和弗吉尼亚大学（University of Virginia）的研究人员将在高度跨学科和协作环境中培训本科生。该项目将涉及在该计划期间的培训多达15名本科研究人员。学生将面临有关聚合物薄膜，表面和界面的加工，修改和表征的材料科学问题。预计将在该计划中资助的学生将参加与JMU化学的NSF研究经验有关的活动，以成为每年夏天在JMU的化学，物理，工程和材料科学的“学者社区”的一部分。他们将有进一步的机会通过交流计划与JMU的本科生一起去UVA去UVA享受一个夏天，反之亦然，反之亦然。最后，该计划将资助两名高中教师在研究环境中工作，以了解如何将材料科学应用于中学化学或物理课程。总而言之，该计划有助于广泛影响高中通过研究生层面的未来科学家的管道，并通过培训了尖端的聚合物材料科学主题，该主题具有聚合物表面的生物学应用。