Tailoring Electrospun Poly(l-lactic acid) Nanofibers as Substrates for Microfluidic Applications

Abstract

Novel microfluidic substrates based on electrospun poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA) membranes were developed to increase the limited range of commercially available paper substrates, commonly used for the fabrication of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices (µPADs). PLLA advantageous properties include being biodegradable, biocompatible, easily processed in various tailored morphologies, and cost effective, among others. Oriented and non-oriented electrospun PLLA membranes were fabricated using electrospinning and the influence of fibre orientation, addition of hydrophilic additives and plasma treatments on the morphology, physicochemical properties and capillary flow rate were evaluated and compared with commercial Whatman paper. In addition, a proof of concept application based on the colorimetric detection of glucose in printed PLLA and paper-based microfluidic systems was also performed. The results show the potential of PLLA substrates for the fabrication of portable, disposable, ecofriendly and cost-effective microfluidic systems with controllable properties that can be tailored according to specific biotechnological application requirements, being a suitable alternative to conventional paper-based substrates.

Fluorinated Polymer Membranes as Advanced Substrates for Portable Analytical Systems and Their Proof of Concept for Colorimetric Bioassays

“…This procedure was performed on both surfaces of the P­(VDF-TrFE) membranes. These parameters were defined according to previous studies and further optimization to guarantee nonsignificant morphological changes and superhydrophilic properties stable over time. , The processed P­(VDF-TrFE) membranes with and without oxygen plasma treatment will be identified as w/ and w/o plasma, respectively.…”

“…However, it is expensive, must be handled very carefully to maintain the integrity of the membrane, and typically needs an external baking material to support the nitrocellulose structure. Thus, alternative microfluidic substrates are being explored, such as poly­( l -lactic acid) (PLLA), an aliphatic semicrystalline polyester known for its biocompatibility and biodegradability, in the form of electrospun membranes …”

Research progress, models and simulation of electrospinning technology: a review

“…However, because targeting molecules mostly employed for only a single phenotype of cancer cells, the capture efficiency for multiple types of cancer cells is limited [ 446 ]. Pimentel et al [ 447 ] developed a PLLA membrane-based microfluidic substrate for colorimetric detection of glucose, which has many advantages over conventional paper-based substrates. Xu et al [ 448 ] developed a hyaluronic acid and PLGA nanofibers microfluidic chip that can selectively capture CD44 + carcinoma of various origins, especially for HeLa cancer cells and its effectiveness, which can be separated for further analysis.…”

A Review of Biomaterials and Scaffold Fabrication for Organ-on-a-Chip (OOAC) Systems

“…Different methods have been developed to introduce scaffolds into microfluidic chips. One of these methods is the lateral flow model used by Pimentel et al where certain areas of the membrane are occluded to create a hydrophobic zone around the channels [ 77 ]. The disadvantage of this method is that it is not appropriate for cell lines that need shear stress [ 67 ].…”