Using poly(ethylene glycol) silane to prevent protein adsorption in microfabricated silicon channels

Microfluidic devices fabricated in silicon are quickly finding use in many areas of technology. Exploration of new applications of this technology has shown both advantages and disadvantages to extreme miniaturization of chemical assays. While accuracy, efficiency and smaller sample volumes are among the advantages, interactions between the walls of the micro-channels and the fluid or particles it contains are among the disadvantages. Our group is applying this technology to chemical and biological warfare (CBW) agent purification and detection. We present preliminary results towards achieving a long-term antifouling surface in our detection system. A microfluidic device was anisotropically etched in a (100) silicon wafer and attached to a Pyrex glass slip to create an enclosed channel. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) silane was covalently bonded to the hydroxyls of an oxide layer on the silicon device and the Pyrex cover slip. Fluorescently labeled ovalbumin, a CBW simulant, was in contact with an unmodified and PEG-modified channel. The extent of adsorption was determined using fluorescence microscopy.