On-chip detection of gel transition temperature using a novel micro-thermomechanical method

PLoS One. 2017 Aug 17;12(8):e0183492. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0183492. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

We present a new thermomechanical method and a platform to measure the phase transition temperature at microscale. A thin film metal sensor on a membrane simultaneously measures both temperature and mechanical strain of the sample during heating and cooling cycles. This thermomechanical principle of operation is described in detail. Physical hydrogel samples are prepared as a disc-shaped gels (200 μm thick and 1 mm diameter) and placed between an on-chip heater and sensor devices. The sol-gel transition temperature of gelatin solution at various concentrations, used as a model physical hydrogel, shows less than 3% deviation from in-depth rheological results. The developed thermomechanical methodology is promising for precise characterization of phase transition temperature of thermogels at microscale.

MeSH terms

  • Equipment Design*
  • Gels*
  • Lab-On-A-Chip Devices*
  • Rheology
  • Temperature*

Substances

  • Gels

Grants and funding

This research was partially supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award No. 1540010 to Marquette University for the Water Equipment and Policy Industry/University Cooperative Research Center and University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (IIP-0968887). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.