CA – Page 25 – TechConnect Briefs

Programmable Three-Dimensional Microfluidic Fabrication by Direct-Write Assembly

Ghafar-Zadeh E., Therriault D., Sawan M., École Polytechnique de Montréal, CA

There are increasing needs for 3D microfluidic components such as microchannels, micromixers or micropumps for Laboratory-on-chip systems. To date, several efficient, but expensive and complex techniques such as Liga and micro-stereo-lithography [1] have been developed [...]

Large scale synthesis of ordered silver nanoparticles for superhydrophobic and anti-icing application

Safaee A., Sarkar D.K., Farzaneh M., Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, CA

Large scale syntheses of ordered colloidal silver nanoparticles have been achieved through solution phase method. These colloidal nanoparticles have been spin-coated on glass substrates and investigated using AFM and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Nearly cubic shape silver [...]

Lotus effect on Al-surfaces

Sarkar D.K., Farzaneh M., Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, CA

Nanostructured patterns have been produced on aluminum surfaces by chemical etching. The density of the nanopatterns increases with the increase of the concentration of the etchent. The patterned aluminum surfaces have been passivated using stearic [...]

Superhydrophobic ZnO nanotowers

Saleema N., Sarkar D.K., Farzaneh M., Sacher E., Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, CA

Superhydrophobic zinc oxide nanotowers have been grown successfully on sodalime glass substrates by chemical bath deposition (CBD). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images have revealed the presence of randomly oriented hexagonal patterned ZnO nanotowers. [...]

Highly Photo-Stable Type-I PbSe/SnSe and PbSe/SnS Colloidal Core/Shell Quantum Dots

Shan J., van Veggel F.C.J.M., Raudsepp M., Pattantyus-Abraham A.G., Young J.F., University of Victoria, CA

In an effort to improve photo-stability of IV-VI PbSe and PbS quantum dots (QDs) for application of infrared-based devices, we have synthesized type I core/shell colloidal QDs with PbSe and PbS as the cores, and [...]

Spontaneously Forming Unilamellar Nano-Sized Vesicles – Polydispersity, Size, Shape and Stability

Nieh M-P, Raghunathan V.A., Huang C-Y, Pencer J., Harroun T., Katsaras J., National Research Council at Canada, CA

Unilamellar vesicles (ULV) made up entirely of biologically relevant materials can serve as carriers for drug delivery or gene therapy. Compared to extrusion and sonication methods, traditionally used for producing ULV, spontaneously forming ULV offer [...]

Microfluidic System for Assessing the Controllability of MC-1 Magnetotactic Bacteria as Carriers in Micro-channels

Lu Z., Martel S., NanoRobotics Laboratory, CA

A novel micromanipulation method using Magnetotactic Bacteria to push micro-objects is proposed. The controllability of MC-1 Magnetotactic Bacteria in micro-channels is verified through microfluidic device with implemented micro-electromagets. After introducation of microfabrication procedure and experiment [...]

AC Electroosmotic Fluid Flow in Electrolytes Generated by Two Coplanar Microelectrodes

Adamiak K., University of Western Ontario, CA

AC electroosmotic pumping of fluids is studied in the model consisting of two thin coplanar electrodes, deposited on a dielectric substrate and placed in an aqueous solution. An AC voltage is supplied to the electrodes [...]

Visualization of quantum dot-electron donor conjugate uptake and processing by living cells

Clarke S.J., Hollmann C.A., Nadeau J.L., McGill University, CA

The interactions of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) with living cells remain poorly understood. It is known that certain sizes (colors) of QDs penetrate more readily into subcellular compartments, such as the nucleus, or into bacteria. [...]

Dicationic gemini surfactant gene delivery complexes contain cubic-lamellar mixed polymorphic phase

Foldvari M., Wettig S., Badea I., Verrall R., Bagonluri M., University of Saskatchewan, CA

The characterization of structural properties of novel dicationic (gemini) surfactant-based DNA complexes as micro/nano-scale self-assembling delivery systems for cutaneous gene therapy is described and discussed as related to measured transfection efficiencies. Previous small-angle x-ray scattering [...]