Single stranded DNA separations in oxide-passivated thin-walled plastic microchannels

Cross-linking in sieving matrices such as acrylamide gel in plastic based capillary electrophoresis systems is difficult due to the high permeability of oxygen through thin walls of plastic capillary electrophoresis systems. In this paper we report the fabrication of plastic based capillary electrophoresis systems, which use alumina-passivated thin-walled parylene-C microchannels for DNA separation. Results show alumina is a good oxygen barrier and excellent cross-linking of the sieving matrix can be achieved. We have achieved both dsDNA and ssDNA separation in these systems.