Lifetime Prolongation of Poly (dimethylsiloxane) Surface Modification via 2-Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate Grafting for Electroosmotic Flow

To use Poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) for the electrokinetic flow channel, the PDMS surface must be modified to be hydrophilic. With $O_2$ plasma treatment, it is difficult to maintain hydrophilicity for more than one day. In this paper, we present the chemical modification of the PDMS surface using 2-Hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) to prolong hydrophilicity lifetime. The oxide radicals generated temporarily on the PDMS surface by $O_2$ plasma are grafted with HEMA. Once the PDMS samples have been grafted, they demonstrate improved hydrophilicity retainment and electroosmotic flow characteristics compared to the untreated PDMS and the oxidized PDMS following the $O_2$ plasma process. This phenomenon was verified by the contact angles, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra and electro osmotic flow rates observed for more than 300 hours.