Fabrication technique for hydrogel films containing micropatterned opal structures
AssigneeTrustees of Tufts College
InventorsHyunmin YI, Maurice Bukenya, Subhash Kalidindi
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Abstract
Disclosed is a method for producing a micropatterned opal hydrogel film comprising an evaporation-polymerization method. The method provides a simple and inexpensive fabrication method to produce micropatterned opal hydrogel films.
Claims81
A method for producing a micropatterned opal hydrogel film, comprising:
- (i) depositing a suspension of nanoparticles in at least one solvent into a plurality of poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS) microwells;
- (ii) subjecting the suspension, for a first period of time, to conditions sufficient to evaporate the at least one solvent;
- (iii) adding a solution comprising a monomer or a co-monomer to the plurality of PDMS microwells;
- and
- (iv) subjecting the solution, for a second period of time to conditions sufficient to polymerize the monomer or co-monomer, thereby producing the micropatterned opal hydrogel film.
The method of claim 7, wherein the micropatterned opal hydrogel film is characterized by a plurality of square shaped surface features.
A micropatterned opal hydrogel film characterized by a plurality of shaped surface features, wherein each shaped surface features comprises an opal-containing top layer and a hydrogel bottom layer.
A micropatterned opal hydrogel film characterized by a plurality of shaped surface features, wherein each shaped surface features consists of an opal-containing top layer and a hydrogel bottom layer.
The micropatterned opal hydrogel film of claim 744, wherein each square shaped surface feature has a uniform width ±5 μm.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.