Degradable polyesters for optical applications

The consumption of contaminated water still poses a real threat in developing countries. The assessment of water safety is currently based on cell-culture based techniques that require expensive equipment and skilled operators. The implementation of lab-on-a-chip (LoC) technologies for water analysis will therefore lead to a paradigm shift since it will enable a low-cost, straightforward, real-time and reliable analysis of samples. Within LoC set-ups, optical detection methods are considered to be the front runners based on their sensitivity and simple sample preparation. Despite these clear advantages, LoC sensors are generally designed for single use as the regeneration of the active components in the channels is troublesome. Therefore, we propose the application of degradable, bio-based polyesters as sensor substrate to limit the environmental impact that will come with the mass application of microfluidic sensors. In order to design degradable, transparent and mechanically stable materials, mandelic acid has been shown to be an interesting monomer due to its interesting thermal and optical properties.1 In the current work, O-carboxyanhydrides are applied as monomers as they are readily accessible in contrast to cyclic diesters of mandelic acid. The current contribution will highlight the copolymerisation with lactic acid based monomers to tune the glass transition. Given the optical application, light absorbance in thin sheets will be discussed. Future work will focus on the controlled processing of the obtained polymers into microfluidic chips that can be applied in an optical read-out system.

Jaar van publicatie:2015