In this work thiol-ene based photopolymers are surface-functionalized to create hydrophilic and hydrophobic areas for the development of microfluidic systems via photopolymerization. In this context, thiol moieties on the polymer surface are oxidized with UV-light and patterned with photomasks to yield spatially controlled hydrophilic sulfonate groups. In a further step, the remaining mercapto groups are functionalized with fluorinated acrylates via base catalyzed thiol-michael addition or with gold nanoparticles to create hydrophobic regions. The proper functionalization of the surface is monitored via contact angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Using this method microfluidic channels will be created with this method that are able to guide blood samples and detect viruses through rapid diagnostic testing.


Figure 1: Scheme of the different surface functionalization strategies used of a thiol surface.