Agar with embedded channels to study root growth.

Agar have long been used as a growth media for plants. Here, we made agar media with embedded fluidic channels to study the effect of exposure to nutrient solution on root growth and pull-out force. Black Eye bean (Vigna Unguiculata) and Mung bean (Vigna Radiata) were used in this study due to their rapid root development. Agar media were fabricated using casting process with removable cores to form channels which were subsequently filled with nutrient solution. Upon germination, beans were transplanted onto the agar media and allowed to grow. Pull-out force was determined at 96, 120 and 144 h after germination by applying a force on the hypocotyl above the gel surface. The effect of nutrients was investigated by comparing corresponding data obtained from control plants which have not been exposed to nutrient solution. Pull-out force of Black Eye bean plantlets grown in agar with nutrient solution in channels was greater than those grown in gel without nutrients and was 110% greater after 144 h of germination. Pull-out force of Mung bean plantlets grown in agar with and without nutrient solution was similar. Tap root lengths of Black Eye bean and Mung Bean plantlets grown in agar with nutrient solution are shorter than those grown without nutrient.

Tailored nanostructured titania integrated on titanium micropillars with outstanding wicking properties.

A novel wicking material using nanostructured titania grown on high aspect ratio titanium micropillars is demonstrated. High aspect ratio titanium micropillars were micromachined from bulk titanium sheets. Nanostructured titania was then grown on the surface of titanium micropillars by oxidation in aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution followed by thermal annealing. The nanostructured titania formed has an open porous structure with a nanoscale pore diameter and wall thickness. X-ray diffraction and pole figure studies indicate the formation of anatase phase of titania and the absence of a preferred orientation in the porous film. The hybrid nanostructured titania on titanium micropillars has excellent hydrophilic properties with a water capillary speed comparable to or exceeding that of conventional wick materials commonly used in heat pipes for the thermal management of electronic devices.

Superhydrophilicity on microstructured titanium surfaces via a superficial titania layer with interconnected nanoscale pores.

Microstructured titanium (Ti) surfaces often suffer from poor hydrophilicity which makes the realization of open microfluidic devices difficult. Here, we investigate the effect of a superficial porous titania (TiO2) layer on the hydrophilicity of microstructured surfaces. High aspect ratio Ti micropillars were micromachined from bulk Ti sheets. Porous TiO2 was subsequently grown on Ti micropillars by a wet oxidation route followed by thermal annealing. Porous TiO2 was characterized using atomic force microscopy, x-ray diffraction and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Detailed morphology study and pore size analysis were carried using focused ion beam machining coupled with scanning electron microscopy. Static contact angle and dynamic spreading studies clearly demonstrate enhanced hydrophilicity of microstructured Ti surfaces with a superficial porous TiO2 layer. Such enhancement promises interesting applications in the microfluidics and microsystems fields.

High-aspect-ratio bulk micromachining of titanium.

Recent process developments have permitted the highly anisotropic bulk micromachining of titanium microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). By using the metal anisotropic reactive ion etching with oxidation (MARIO) process, arbitrarily high-aspect-ratio structures with straight sidewalls and micrometre-scale features have been bulk micromachined into titanium substrates of various thicknesses, ranging from 0.5-mm sheet down to 10-microm free-standing titanium foils. Bulk micromachined structures are generally free of residual stresses and are preferred when large, rigid, flat and/or high-force actuators are desired. However, so far there has been a limited ability to select materials on the basis of specific application in bulk micromachining, primarily because of the predominance of MEMS processes dedicated to single-crystal silicon, such as silicon deep reactive ion etching. The MARIO process permits the creation of bulk titanium MEMS, which offers potential for the use of a set of material properties beyond those provided by traditional semiconductor-based MEMS. Consequently, the MARIO process enables the fabrication of novel devices that capitalize on these assets to yield enhanced functionalities that would not be possible with traditional micromechanical material systems.