Concave porosity non-polar beads by a modified microbubble fabrication

A modified procedure for the production of porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) beads is presented which results in non-polar polymer beads with microscale concavity and therefore an increased surface-area-to-volume ratio. The key modification is the simple addition of a platinum catalyst to the emuls...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Materials letters 2013-05, Vol.98, p.105-107
Main Authors: Farmer, Brandon C., Mason, MCKinley A., Nee, Matthew J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
microbubbles
platinum
Polydimethylsiloxane
Polymer bead
polymers
porosity
Porous materials
Solid-phase microextraction
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Summary:A modified procedure for the production of porous polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) beads is presented which results in non-polar polymer beads with microscale concavity and therefore an increased surface-area-to-volume ratio. The key modification is the simple addition of a platinum catalyst to the emulsion prior to thermal curing. Elemental analysis of beads indicates the presence of platinum at the center of many of the indentations, which provides insight into the synthetic mechanisms. Rinsing removes these platinum sites, suggesting that the platinum is not chemisorbed to the surface. This development in synthetic approach may find use in pre-concentration techniques which rely heavily on surface-area-to-volume ratio. ► PDMS beads made using microbubble synthesis with the addition of platinum catalyst. ► SEM reveals deep, wide, and concave porosity. ► Platinum is found primarily at concave sites, and disappears after sonication in water. ► Potentially beneficial for separation and microextraction techniques.
ISSN:0167-577X
1873-4979
DOI:10.1016/j.matlet.2013.02.039