The influence of electrolyte concentration on nanofractures fabricated in a 3D‐printed microfluidic device by controlled dielectric breakdown

• Published in: Electrophoresis 2020-12, Vol.41 (23), p.2007-2014
• Main Authors: Islam, Md Fokhrul, Yap, Yiing C., Li, Feng, Guijt, Rosanne M., Breadmore, Michael C.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D Printing; ABS resins; Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene; Buffers; Butadienes - chemistry; Controlled dielectric breakdown; Dielectric breakdown; Electric potential; Electrolytes; Electrolytes - chemistry; Electrophoresis - instrumentation; Electrophoretic separation; Equipment Design; Extrusion; Fused deposition modeling; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - instrumentation; Microfluidic Analytical Techniques - methods; Microfluidic device; Microfluidic devices; Nanofractures; Nanostructures - chemistry; Printing, Three-Dimensional - instrumentation; Proteins - analysis; Proteins - chemistry; Styrene - chemistry; Styrenes; Three dimensional printing; Transport properties; Voltage
• ISSN: 0173-0835; 1522-2683
• DOI: 10.1002/elps.202000050

A three‐dimensional‐printed microfluidic device made of a thermoplastic material was used to study the creation of molecular filters by controlled dielectric breakdown. The device was made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene by a fused deposition modeling three‐dimensional printer and consisted of two V‐shaped sample compartments separated by 750 µm of extruded plastic gap. Nanofractures were formed in the thin piece of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene by controlled dielectric breakdown by application voltage of 15–20 kV with the voltage terminated when reaching a defined current threshold. Variation of the size of the nanofractures was achieved by both variation of the current threshold and by variation of the ionic strength of the electrolyte used for breakdown. Electrophoretic transport of two proteins, R‐phycoerythrin (RPE;