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Stimuli-responsive materials: developing integrated opto-molecular systems as sensors and actuators in micro-fluidic devices

Florea, Larisa orcid logoORCID: 0000-0002-4704-2393 (2013) Stimuli-responsive materials: developing integrated opto-molecular systems as sensors and actuators in micro-fluidic devices. PhD thesis, Dublin City University.

Abstract
Micro-fluidic platforms have been conferred with inherent optical sensing capabilities by coating the walls of micro-fluidic channels or micro-capillaries with stimuli-responsive materials. These adaptive materials respond optically to environmental stimuli, such as changes in pH, solvent polarity, the presence of certain metal ions and light. This approach confers sensing capabilities along the entire length of the coated micro-channel or micro-capillary. Adaptive coatings based on two types of materials are presented: 1. Conductive polymer polyaniline - The optical properties of these coatings respond to changes in the pH of the solution that is passing through the micro- channel or micro-capillary, and therefore can be used for dynamic pH monitoring (pH 2-8) or for aqueous ammonia sensing. 2. Photochromic spiropyrans - Photoswitchable coatings based on spiropyran are used to photo-detect solvents of different polarity when passing through the micro-capillary in continuous flow. This sensing behaviour can be switched on/off remotely using light. Finally, it is reported, for the first time, the potential of using spiropyran as a pH pump in fluidic channels for photo-activated chemopropulsion of organic droplets and the solvato-morphological control of self-assembled micro-structures based on spiropyran.
Metadata
Item Type:Thesis (PhD)
Date of Award:November 2013
Refereed:No
Supervisor(s):Diamond, Dermot
Uncontrolled Keywords:Microfluidics; chemical sensors; stimuli-responsive materials; photo-controlled uptake and release
Subjects:Physical Sciences > Analytical chemistry
Physical Sciences > Photochemistry
Physical Sciences > Chemistry
DCU Faculties and Centres:DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Chemical Sciences
Research Initiatives and Centres > CLARITY: The Centre for Sensor Web Technologies
Research Initiatives and Centres > National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR)
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. View License
Funders:Science Foundation Ireland, Irish Research Council for Science Engineering and Technology
ID Code:19311
Deposited On:25 Nov 2013 15:13 by Dermot Diamond . Last Modified 18 Sep 2018 13:54
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