Fabrication of polyester microchannels and their applications to capillaryelectrophoresis

Inexpensive and disposable polyester microchips were fabricated through pho tolithographic and wet-chemical etching procedure, followed by replication using an imprinting method at room temperature. Laboratory-scale laser-indu ced fluorescence equipment was employed as a detection system. The generati on of electroosmotic flow (EOF) on the polyester channels was discussed in this paper. Surfactants in the running buffer had a significant effect on t he EOF depending on their types. The zeta potential of the electric double layer formed by adsorbing sodium lauryl sulfate molecules on the wall of po lyester channels seemed to be constant within the buffer pH investigated. E OF could also be suppressed to zero by adding polyoxyethylene 23 lauryl eth er into the running buffer. The separation of two laser dyes was obtained u sing polyester chips through both micellar electrokinetic chromatography an d capillary zone electrophoresis. The polyester channels modified with 10-u ndecen-1-ol exhibited a dramatically high-separation efficiency compared wi th the conventional fused-silica capillary tubes. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.