Fabrication of a CNT filter for a microdialysis chip

Abstract

This paper describes the fabrication methods of a carbon nanotube (CNT) filter and a microdialysis chip. A CNT filter can help perform dialysis on a microfluidic chip. In this study, a membrane type of a CNT filter is fabricated and located in a microfluidic chip. The filter plays a role of a dialysis membrane in a microfluidic chip. In-the fabrication process of a CNT filter, individual CNTs are entangl-ed each other by amide bonding that is catalyzed by 1-Ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The chemically treated CNTs are shaped to form a CNT filter using a PDMS film-mold and vacuum filtering. Then, the CNT filter is sandwiched between PDMS substrates, and they are bonded together using a thin layer of PDMS prepolymer as adhesive. The PDMS substrates are fabricated to have a microchannel by standard photo-lithography technique.