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Nanoporous Elements in Microfluidics for Multiscale Manipulation of Bioparticles

  1. Grace D. Chen1,†,
  2. Fabio Fachin2,†,
  3. Marta Fernandez-Suarez1,
  4. Brian L. Wardle2,‡,
  5. Mehmet Toner1,‡,*

Article first published online: 17 MAR 2011

DOI: 10.1002/smll.201002076

Issue

Small

Small

Volume 7, Issue 8, pages 1061–1067, April 18, 2011

Additional Information

How to Cite

Chen, G. D., Fachin, F., Fernandez-Suarez, M., Wardle, B. L. and Toner, M. (2011), Nanoporous Elements in Microfluidics for Multiscale Manipulation of Bioparticles. Small, 7: 1061–1067. doi: 10.1002/smll.201002076

Author Information

  1. 1

    BioMEMS Resource Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, 114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA 02139, USA

  2. 2

    Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

  1. †

    G.D.C. and F.F. contributed equally to this work.

  2. ‡

    M.T. and B.L.W. contributed equally to this work.

*BioMEMS Resource Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, 114 16th Street, Charlestown, MA 02139, USA.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 14 APR 2011
  2. Article first published online: 17 MAR 2011
  3. Manuscript Revised: 21 JAN 2011
  4. Manuscript Received: 18 NOV 2010

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Keywords:

  • microfluidics;
  • carbon nanotubes;
  • nanoporous materials;
  • lab-on-a-chip devices;
  • filters

Abstract

Solid materials, such as silicon, glass, and polymers, dominate as structural elements in microsystems including microfluidics. Porous elements have been limited to membranes sandwiched between microchannel layers or polymer monoliths. This paper reports the use of micropatterned carbon-nanotube forests confined inside microfluidic channels for mechanically and/or chemically capturing particles ranging over three orders of magnitude in size. Nanoparticles below the internanotube spacing (80 nm) of the forest can penetrate inside the forest and interact with the large surface area created by individual nanotubes. For larger particles (>80 nm), the ultrahigh porosity of the nanotube elements reduces the fluid boundary layer and enhances particle–structure interactions on the outer surface of the patterned nanoporous elements. Specific biomolecular recognition is demonstrated using cells (≈10 μm), bacteria (≈1 μm), and viral-sized particles (≈40 nm) using both effects. This technology can provide unprecedented control of bioseparation processes to access bioparticles of interest, opening new pathways for both research and point-of-care diagnostics.

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