Independent Optical Control of Microfluidic Valves Formed from Optomechanically Responsive Nanocomposite Hydrogels

S R Sershen; G A Mensing; M Ng; N J Halas; D J Beebe; J L West

doi:10.1002/adma.200401239

Independent Optical Control of Microfluidic Valves Formed from Optomechanically Responsive Nanocomposite Hydrogels

Adv Mater. 2005 Jun 6;17(11):1366-1368. doi: 10.1002/adma.200401239.

Authors

S R Sershen¹, G A Mensing², M Ng¹, N J Halas³, D J Beebe², J L West¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.
² Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
³ Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX 77251, USA.

PMID: 34412418
DOI: 10.1002/adma.200401239

Abstract

Independent optical control of microfluidic valves formed from optomechanically responsive nanocomposite hydrogels is achieved using strongly absorbing Au nanoparticles or nanoshells embedded within a thermally responsive polymer. Valves formed from composites with different nanoparticles could be independently controlled by changing the illumination wavelength.

Keywords: Microfluidic systems; Photoisomerization; Piezoelectrics.