Fluidic devices comprising photocontrollable units

Abstract

Photochromic materials that are useful for a variety of applications, including for making various unit functions of fluidic devices, particularly microfluidic devices, such as microchannels, valves and gates, using spiropyran materials, such as a polymeric composition comprising a spiropyran. In certain disclosed embodiments the spiropyran is admixed with a polymeric material. For example, the spiropyran may be intercalated into a polyalkylene or polyalkylene phthalate. The spiropyran also may be polymerized with at least one additional monomer to form a heteropolymer, such as by polymerization with styrene, styrene derivatives, acrylate and acrylate derivatives. The spiropyran compositions can be used to make, for example, a photoactuatable valve, a fluidic channel, etc. The valve may be associated with a microchannel, including photochromic microchannel. In certain disclosed embodiments, the valve, at least one microchannel, or both, are re-patternable by light exposure. Embodiments of a method for using a photochromic material in a microfluidic device also are disclosed. One disclosed embodiment concerns providing a microfluidic device comprising at least one re-patternable microchannel defined by a spiropyran photochromic material, at least one photoactuatable valve comprising the same or a different spiropyran photochromic material, or both. Spiropyran photochromic material is serially exposed to light of different wavelengths to move a fluid, to actuate a gate or valve, or both.