Alkoxy-functionalized polythiophenes such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) and poly(3,4-propylenedioxythiophene) (PProDOT) have become promising materials for a variety of applications including bioelectronic devices due to their high conductivity, relatively soft mechanical response, good chemical stability and excellent biocompatibility. However the long-term applications of PEDOT and PProDOT coatings are still limited by their relatively poor electrochemical stability on various inorganic substrates. Here, we report the synthesis of an octa-ProDOT-functionalized polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) derivative (POSS-ProDOT) and its copolymerization with EDOT to improve the stability of PEDOT coatings. The POSS-ProDOT crosslinker was synthesized via thiol–ene “click” chemistry, and its structure was confirmed by both Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopies. PEDOT copolymer films were then electrochemically deposited with various concentrations of the crosslinker. The resulting PEDOT- co -POSS-ProDOT copolymer films were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Ultraviolet-Visible spectroscopy and Scanning Electron Microscopy. The optical, morphological and electrochemical properties of the copolymer films could be systematically tuned with the incorporation of POSS-ProDOT. Significantly enhanced electrochemical stability of the copolymers was observed at intermediate levels of POSS-ProDOT content (3.1 wt%). It is expected that these highly stable PEDOT- co -POSS-ProDOT materials will be excellent candidates for use in bioelectronics devices such as neural electrodes.
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Manipulating Microvolumes of Fluids in Different Paths By Magnetohydrodynamics
Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) is a unique approach for pumping fluids on a microscale and is highly suitable for enabling multiple functions for chemical analysis on a chip. An ionic current, j , is established in the fluid between selectively-activated electrodes in the presence of a magnetic field, B , that is perpendicular to the current, to generate a force, F B , orthogonal to j and B , through the right hand rule. F B is a body force that propels the liquid in the same direction through momentum transfer. We use microelectrodes, which are patterned into different, individually-addressable geometries on chips. Those electrodes are modified with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PEDOT, a conducting polymer, that converts the applied electronic current in the external circuit to ionic current in the fluid [1]. A small NdFeB permanent magnet is placed under the chip to provide B . By strategic activation of the electrodes, fluid flow can be programmable. For example, we previously demonstrated that MHD can start, stop, reverse, adjust speed, and alter profiles of the fluid flow. We have also shown recently that MHD fluid flow can be diverted in a contactless way by magnetic field gradients when paramagnetic species are present [2]. In our presentation, we will discuss how MHD can control the paths of individual microvolumes of different fluids for mixing, sampling, and injection. We will describe the conditions that lead to and the resulting flow profiles that result from adjacent counter flows, transverse paths, and different solvent compositions. Acknowledgements: We are grateful for financial support from the National Science Foundation (CMI-1808286) and Arkansas Bioscience Institute, the major research component of the Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act of 2000. References [1] Khan, F. Z.; Fritsch, I. “Chip-Scale Electrodeposition and Analysis of Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) Films for Enhanced and Sustained Microfluidics Using DC-Redox-Magnetohydrodynamics”, Journal of The Electrochemical Society 2019 , 166 (13), H615-H627. [2] Hähnel, V.; Khan, F. Z.; Mutschke, G.; Cierpka, C.; Uhlemann, M.; Fritsch, I. “Combining magnetic forces for contactless manipulation of fluids in microelectrode-microfluidic systems:, Scientific Reports 2019 , 9:5103.
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- Award ID(s):
- 1659523
- PAR ID:
- 10426154
- Date Published:
- Journal Name:
- ECS Meeting Abstracts
- Volume:
- MA2020-01
- Issue:
- 32
- ISSN:
- 2151-2043
- Page Range / eLocation ID:
- 2345 to 2345
- Format(s):
- Medium: X
- Sponsoring Org:
- National Science Foundation
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