ABSTRACT
Wearable sweat sensor offers a promising means for noninvasive real-time health monitoring, but the efficient collection and accurate analysis of sweat remains challenging. One of the obstacles is to precisely modulate the surface wettability of the microfluidics to achieve efficient sweat collection. Here a facile initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) method is presented to grow and pattern polymer nanocone arrays with distinct superwettability on polydimethylsiloxane microfluidics, which facilitate highly efficient sweat transportation and collection. The nanoarray is synthesized by manipulating monomer supersaturation during iCVD to induce controlled nucleation and preferential vertical growth of fluorinated polymer. Subsequent selective vapor deposition of a conformal hydrogel nanolayer results in superhydrophilic nanoarray floor and walls within the microchannel that provide a large capillary force and a superhydrophobic ceiling that drastically reduces flow friction, enabling rapid sweat transport along varied flow directions. A carbon/hydrogel/enzyme nanocomposite electrode is then fabricated by sequential deposition of highly porous carbon nanoparticles and hydrogel nanocoating to achieve sensitive and stable sweat detection. Further encapsulation of the assembled sweatsensing patch with superhydrophobic nanoarray imparts self-cleaning and water-proof capability. Finally, the sweat sensing patch demonstrates selective and sensitive glucose and lactate detection during the on-body test.
ABSTRACT
The aim of this work was to investigate the influence of interactions between 1.00%w/w hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose (HPMC) and the anionic surfactant sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS) on the properties of 20%w/w sunflower oil/water emulsion and the corresponding microcapsules obtained by spray drying technique. On the basis of the viscosity and rheological measurements, particle size and particle size distribution, and stability assessment, it was concluded that the emulsion characteristics depend strongly on the interaction mechanism. Significant increase in viscosity and non-Newtonian thixotropic behavior was observed in the SDS concentration range from 0.15 to 1.00%w/v, corresponding to HPMC-SDS interactions in the continuous phase. In the interaction region, a three-dimensional network is formed in the continuous phase by intermolecular binding of SDS molecules to the adjacent HPMC chains, which contributes to increase in the viscosity and thixotropic properties. The mean diameter of emulsion particles, d(vs), decreases with increase in SDS concentration, but emulsion stability depends on the adsorption layer structure, i.e. HPMC-SDS interactions. The HPMC/SDS complex adsorbed at the o/w interface makes the layer more compact, enhancing thus emulsion stability. Microcapsules, obtained in the form of powder by spray drying of emulsions, have good redispersibility in water, but their stability changes depending on the HPMC-SDS interaction mechanism, i.e., the HPMC/SDS complex forms a more compact layer that is resistant to breaking during the drying process. The highest encapsulation efficiency was found in the interaction region.
