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Surface Engineering

Downscaling of fluidic systems to the micrometre scale results in a characteristic feature of microfluidics systems: a large surface-to-volume-ratio. For this reason surface is a dominant component in this systems, and its properties may change radically the performance of the device. Surface engineering techniques can be used to develop a wide range of functional properties, including physical, chemical, electrical, electronic, magnetic, mechanical. Additionally, microfabrication techniques enabled the possibility to perform bottom up approaches in localised areas of a substrate by patterning techniques, rendering multifunctional substrates by surface engineering. We work on chemical functionalisation of glass, plastic and paper substrates, as well as on the development of surface patterning techniques to introduce different functionalities in substrates. We are currently developing strategies for:

1- Modification of chemical and topographic properties of surfaces.


2- Patterning of plastic, glass and paper substrates with chemicals and nanoparticles.

(A) functionalided capillaries for ion sensing. (B) patterned fibroblast. (C) patterned nanoparticles and cells.

Most Relevant Group Publications

Extracellular Matrix Protein Microarray-Based Biosensor for Integrin Profiling and Cell-biomaterial Interaction Characterization with Single Cell Resolution, A. Gonzalez-Pujana, E. Santos-Vizcaino, M. García-Hernando, F. Benito-Lopez, M. Igartua, L. Basabe-Desmonts, R. M. Hernandez*, Sens. Actuators B, 2019, 299, 126954.

Micro-capillary Coatings Based on Spiropyran Polymeric Brushes for Metal Ion Binding, Detection and Release in Continuous Flow, A. Dunne, C. Delaney, A. McKeon, P. Nesterenko, B. Paull, F. Benito-Lopez, D. Diamond, L. Florea, Sensors, 2018, 18, 1083, 1-12.

Tunable Nanoparticle and Cell Assembly Using Combined Self-Powered Microfluidics and Micro-contact Printing, C. Hamon, M. Henriksen-Lacey, A. La Porta, M. Rosique, J. Langer, L. Scarabelli, A. B. Serrano Montes, G. González-Rubio, M. M. de Pancorbo, L. M. Liz-Marzán, L. Basabe-Desmonts, Advanced Functional Materials 2016;  26,  8053 - 8061.

Topographical and Chemical Patterning of Cell Culture Substrates, E. Azuaje-Hualde, M. M. de Pancorbo, F. Benito-Lopez,  L. Basabe-Desmonts, 21th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences, Micro Total Analysis Systems μ-TAS-2017, 22-26 October, Savannah, USA, 2017, (W028b), 413-414.