Roll-to-roll, high-resolution 3D printing of shape-specific particles.

Particle fabrication has attracted recent attention owing to its diverse applications in bioengineering1,2, drug and vaccine delivery3-5, microfluidics6,7, granular systems8,9, self-assembly5,10,11, microelectronics12,13 and abrasives14. Herein we introduce a scalable, high-resolution, 3D printing technique for the fabrication of shape-specific particles based on roll-to-roll continuous liquid interface production (r2rCLIP). We demonstrate r2rCLIP using single-digit, micron-resolution optics in combination with a continuous roll of film (in lieu of a static platform), enabling the rapidly permutable fabrication and harvesting of shape-specific particles from a variety of materials and with complex geometries, including geometries not possible to achieve with advanced mould-based techniques. We demonstrate r2rCLIP production of mouldable and non-mouldable shapes with voxel sizes as small as 2.0 × 2.0 µm2 in the print plane and 1.1 ± 0.3 µm unsupported thickness, at speeds of up to 1,000,000 particles per day. Such microscopic particles with permutable, intricate designs enable direct integration within biomedical, analytical and advanced materials applications.

Optimizing Coaxial Sonic Spray Geometry for Generating Water Microdroplets.

Sonic spray creates a stream of neutral and charged microdroplets without application of voltage, heating, laser irradiation, or corona discharge. The solvent of interest flows through an inner capillary (usually constructed of fused silica) that is surrounded by an outer stainless-steel tube through which a nebulizing gas flows under pressure. This technique has been widely used as the interface in mass spectrometric studies for chemical analysis and for understanding microdroplet chemistry. We have used light scattering to characterize the size distribution and density for water microdroplets as a function of several parameters, such as water quality, water flow rate, nebulizing gas pressure, and sonic sprayer geometry. We find that the size distribution of the microdroplets, which is critical to many applications, depends most sensitively on the distance between the inner and outer capillary outlets and the gas flow pressure. The best performance as measured by the smallness of the microdroplet diameters is obtained when the gas flow pressure is the highest and there is no separation distance, d, between the two capillary outlets. In addition, at d = 0 mm, the microdroplet diameter distribution is nearly independent of the water flow rate, indicating that studies under these conditions can be scaled up.

Polymer-spray mass spectrometric detection and quantitation of hydrophilic compounds and some narcotics.

RATIONALE: High-throughput screening of biofluids is essential in monitoring concentration of a variety of drugs to determine their efficacy and toxicity. Organosiloxane polymers prepared by sol-gel chemistry as sample supports, and electrospray ionization emitters in a single material and as an alternative to paper substrates, is described in this study. METHODS: Hydrophobic drugs and hydrophilic streptomycin were analyzed by polymer-spray mass spectrometry with an LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer. Drug samples in urine (1-2 µL) were deposited on an OSX polymer, allowed to dry, then electrosprayed from the polymer tip into the mass spectrometer without sample pretreatment. The OSX polymers, whose polarity and porosity can be controlled, were prepared by sol-gel chemistry where methyl-substituted alkoxysilanes were hydrolyzed in the presence of a pore template and an acid catalyst. RESULTS: Five nanograms each of seven narcotic drugs were detected in <1 min (relative standard deviation (RSD) of response <1% for each drug). Calibration curves of cocaine and streptomycin in urine were used to establish the performance of the polymer. For sample 1 (n = 2), the mean recovery for cocaine was 81% with paper and 90% with polymer. Streptomycin is detected with polymer, not with paper; for samples 1 and 2 (n = 3), mean recovery was 97% and 95%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Organosiloxane polymers achieve more sensitive analysis than paper, allowing for more accurate quantitation of both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug compounds. The ability to tailor the polymer polarity and porosity allows for the synthesis of a wide range of polymers, and thus opens many possibilities for further development and applications.

Monitoring Enzymatic Reactions in Real Time Using Venturi Easy Ambient Sonic-Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry.

We developed a technique to monitor spatially confined surface reactions with mass spectrometry under ambient conditions, without the need for voltage or organic solvents. Fused-silica capillaries immersed in an aqueous solution, positioned in close proximity to each other and the functionalized surface, created a laminar flow junction with a resulting reaction volume of ∼5 pL. The setup was operated with a syringe pump, delivering reagents to the surface through a fused-silica capillary. The other fused-silica capillary was connected to a Venturi easy ambient sonic-spray ionization source, sampling the resulting analytes at a slightly higher flow rate compared to the feeding capillary. The combined effects of the inflow and outflow maintains a chemical microenvironment, where the rate of advective transport overcomes diffusion. We show proof-of-concept where acetylcholinesterase was immobilized on an organosiloxane polymer through electrostatic interactions. The hydrolysis of acetylcholine by acetylcholinesterase into choline was monitored in real-time for a range of acetylcholine concentrations, fused-silica capillary geometries, and operating flow rates. Higher reaction rates and conversion yields were observed with increasing acetylcholine concentrations, as would be expected.

Protein Analysis by Ambient Ionization Mass Spectrometry Using Trypsin-Immobilized Organosiloxane Polymer Surfaces.

In the growing field of proteomic research, rapid and simple protein analysis is a crucial component of protein identification. We report the use of immobilized trypsin on hybrid organic-inorganic organosiloxane (T-OSX) polymers for the on-surface, in situ digestion of four model proteins: melittin, cytochrome c, myoglobin, and bovine serum albumin. Tryptic digestion products were sampled, detected, and identified using desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS) and nanoDESI-MS. These novel, reusable T-OSX arrays on glass slides allow for protein digestion in methanol:water solvents (1:1, v/v) and analysis directly from the same polymer surface without the need for sample preparation, high temperature, and pH conditions typically required for in-solution trypsin digestions. Digestion reactions were conducted with 2 µL protein sample droplets (0.35 mM) at incubation temperatures of 4, 25, 37, and 65 °C and digestion reaction times between 2 and 24 h. Sequence coverages were dependent on the hydrophobicity of the OSX polymer support and varied by temperature and digestion time. Under the best conditions, the sequence coverages, determined by DESI-MS, were 100% for melittin, 100% for cytochrome c, 90% for myoglobin, and 65% for bovine serum albumin.

Droplet spray ionization from a glass microscope slide: real-time monitoring of ethylene polymerization.

Ambient ionization mass spectrometry is achieved in a simple manner by loading a sample solution onto a corner of a microscope cover glass positioned in front of the inlet to a mass spectrometer and applying a high voltage to the sample. The resulting stream of charged droplets is stable, has no contamination from the substrate platform, and can be used repeatedly. The utility of droplet spray for in situ analysis and real-time monitoring of chemical reactions was demonstrated by the bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride (zirconocene dichloride)/methylaluminoxane, Cp2ZrCl2/MAO, homogeneously catalyzed polymerization of ethylene in various solutions. Reaction times ranged from seconds to minutes, and catalytically active species and polymeric products of ethylene were acquired and identified by tandem mass spectrometry.

3D-Printed Microarray Patches for Transdermal Applications.

The intradermal (ID) space has been actively explored as a means for drug delivery and diagnostics that is minimally invasive. Microneedles or microneedle patches or microarray patches (MAPs) are comprised of a series of micrometer-sized projections that can painlessly puncture the skin and access the epidermal/dermal layer. MAPs have failed to reach their full potential because many of these platforms rely on dated lithographic manufacturing processes or molding processes that are not easily scalable and hinder innovative designs of MAP geometries that can be achieved. The DeSimone Laboratory has recently developed a high-resolution continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) 3D printing technology. This 3D printer uses light and oxygen to enable a continuous, noncontact polymerization dead zone at the build surface, allowing for rapid production of MAPs with precise and tunable geometries. Using this tool, we are now able to produce new classes of lattice MAPs (L-MAPs) and dynamic MAPs (D-MAPs) that can deliver both solid state and liquid cargos and are also capable of sampling interstitial fluid. Herein, we will explore how additive manufacturing can revolutionize MAP development and open new doors for minimally invasive drug delivery and diagnostic platforms.

Single-digit-micrometer-resolution continuous liquid interface production.

To date, a compromise between resolution and print speed has rendered most high-resolution additive manufacturing technologies unscalable with limited applications. By combining a reduction lens optics system for single-digit-micrometer resolution, an in-line camera system for contrast-based sharpness optimization, and continuous liquid interface production (CLIP) technology for high scalability, we introduce a single-digit-micrometer-resolution CLIP-based 3D printer that can create millimeter-scale 3D prints with single-digit-micrometer-resolution features in just a few minutes. A simulation model is developed in parallel to probe the fundamental governing principles in optics, chemical kinetics, and mass transport in the 3D printing process. A print strategy with tunable parameters informed by the simulation model is adopted to achieve both the optimal resolution and the maximum print speed. Together, the high-resolution 3D CLIP printer has opened the door to various applications including, but not limited to, biomedical, MEMS, and microelectronics.

Injection continuous liquid interface production of 3D objects.

In additive manufacturing, it is imperative to increase print speeds, use higher-viscosity resins, and print with multiple different resins simultaneously. To this end, we introduce a previously unexplored ultraviolet-based photopolymerization three-dimensional printing process. The method exploits a continuous liquid interface-the dead zone-mechanically fed with resin at elevated pressures through microfluidic channels dynamically created and integral to the growing part. Through this mass transport control, injection continuous liquid interface production, or iCLIP, can accelerate printing speeds to 5- to 10-fold over current methods such as CLIP, can use resins an order of magnitude more viscous than CLIP, and can readily pattern a single heterogeneous object with different resins in all Cartesian coordinates. We characterize the process parameters governing iCLIP and demonstrate use cases for rapidly printing carbon nanotube-filled composites, multimaterial features with length scales spanning several orders of magnitude, and lattices with tunable moduli and energy absorption.

Effect of relative humidity on hydrogen peroxide production in water droplets.

Mist is generated by ultrasonic cavitation of water (Fisher Biograde, pH 5.5-6.5) at room temperature (20-25 °C) in open air with nearly constant temperature (22-25 °C) but varying relative humidity (RH; 24-52%) over the course of many months. Water droplets in the mist are initially about 7 µm in diameter at about 50% RH. They are collected, and the concentration of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is measured using commercial peroxide test strips and by bromothymol blue oxidation. The quantification method is based on the Fenton chemistry of dye degradation to determine the oxidation capacity of water samples that have been treated by ultrasonication. It is found that the hydrogen peroxide concentration varies nearly linearly with RH over the range studied, reaching a low of 2 parts per million (ppm) at 24% RH and a high of 6 ppm at 52% RH. Some possible public health implications concerning the transmission of respiratory viral infections are suggested for this threefold change in H2O2 concentration with RH.

Erratum: Effect of Relative Humidity on Hydrogen Peroxide Production in Water Droplets - CORRIGENDUM.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1017/qrd.2021.6.].

Spraying Small Water Droplets Acts as a Bacteriocide.

Disinfectants are important for arresting the spread of pathogens in the environment. Frequently used disinfectants are often incompatible with certain surfaces, expensive and can produce hazardous by-products. We report that micron-sized water droplets can act as an effective disinfectant, which were formed by spraying pure bulk water with coaxial nebulizing airflow. Spraying for 20 min onto Escherichia coli and Salmonella typhimurium on stainless-steel discs caused inactivation of over 98% of the bacteria. Control experiments resulted in less than 10% inactivation (water stream only and gas only) and 55% inactivation with 3% hydrogen peroxide. Experiments have shown that cell death results from cell wall destruction. We suggest that the combined action of reactive oxygen species present in water droplets (but not in bulk water) along with the droplet surface charge is responsible for the observed bactericidal activity.

Pathogen-Imprinted Organosiloxane Polymers as Selective Biosensors for the Detection of Targeted E. coli.

Early detection of pathogens requires methods that are fast, selective, sensitive and affordable. We report the development of a biosensor with high sensitivity and selectivity based on the low-cost preparation of organosiloxane (OSX) polymers imprinted with E. coli-GFP (green fluorescent protein). OSX polymers with high optical transparency, no cracking, and no shrinkage were prepared by varying several parameters of the sol-gel reaction. The unique shape and chemical fingerprint of the targeted inactivated E. coli-GFP were imprinted into bulk polymers by replication imprinting where the polymer solution was dropcast onto a bacteria template that produced a replica of the bacterial shape and chemistry on the polymer surface upon removal of the template. Capture performances were studied under non-laminar flow conditions with samples containing inactivated E. coli-GFP and compared to inactivated S. typhimurium-GFP. Capture selectivity ratios are dependent on the type of alkoxysilanes used, the H2O:silane molar ratio, and the polymerization temperature. The bacteria concentration in suspension ranged from ~6 × 105 to 1.6 × 109 cells/mL. E. coli-imprinted OSX polymers with polyethylene glycol (PEG) differentiated between the targeted bacterium E. coli, and non-targeted bacteria S. typhimurium and native E. coli-GFP, achieving selectivity ratios up to 4.5 times higher than polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and OSX polymers without PEG.

Genetic screening using the colour change of a PNA-DNA hybrid-binding cyanine dye.

As the relationship between human genes and various malfunctions and diseases becomes revealed at an ever-increasing pace, the need arises for the development of rapid genetic screening methods for diagnostic purposes. Genetic diseases show great diversity. Some are caused by a few characteristic localised mutations, while others arise from a large number of variations. Hence, it is unlikely that a single, general diagnostic method that applies to all cases will ever exist. Instead, a combination of methods is frequently applied. Here we propose the use of a dramatic colour change that a cyanine dye, 3,3'-diethylthiadicarbocyanine, displays upon binding to DNA-PNA duplexes. This method could become an inexpensive, fast and simple genetic screening test by visual inspection, with no need for complicated equipment. Our results demonstrate that this diagnostic method may be sufficiently sensitive to discriminate between even a fully complementary and a single mutation DNA sequence.

Determination of glutamine and serine in rat cerebrospinal fluid using capillary electrochromatography with a modified photopolymerized sol-gel monolithic column.

Capillary electrochromatographic separations of amino acid mixtures were studied using two modified porous photopolymerized sol-gel monolithic columns. One was modified with dimethyloctadecylchlorosilane (DMOS), and the other was modified with DMOS, followed by chlorotrimethylsilane to end-cap residual silanol groups. Prior to separation, amino acids were derivatized with 4-fluoro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole using as a mobile phase 50 mM phosphate (pH 2.5), water, and acetonitrile in the ratio of 1:1:8. Five derivatized amino acids (Asn, Phe, Ala, Ile, and Leu) were separated within 7 min. Theoretical plate numbers varied between 58700 and 105000/m. This separation method with the end-capped monolithic column was applied to rat cerebrospinal fluid. The dominant amino acid found was Gln at a concentration of 420 microM along with small quantities of Ser (54 microM).

Effect of preparatory conditions on the performance of photopolymerized sol-gel monoliths for capillary electrochromatography.

We prepared different photopolymerized sol-gel (PSG) columns by varying the amount of monomer (methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane), porogen (toluene) and catalyst (hydrochloric acid) in the reaction solution containing a photoinitiator (Irgacure 1800). The effects of these variations on the chromatographic behavior of the PSG columns were studied. All of the columns studied exhibited reversed-phase character. The concentration of hydrochloric acid was important for the rigidity of the columns, although it did not affect the separation property. The ratio of monomer solution to porogen was a critical factor in controlling the through-pore size and the surface area of PSG, which were found to significantly affect the separation properties, such as permeability, theoretical plate number, retention time, and separation efficiency, of a mixture of test analytes-thiourea, benzene, and naphthalene. There was no change in the retention order for the test analytes. Short separation times were achieved on PSG columns made from a 10% monomer stock solution and 90% porogen with 1 M hydrochloric acid. Mixtures of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkylbenzenes were separated with theoretical plate numbers greater than 100 000 plates/m.

Visible light-induced photopolymerization of an in situ macroporous sol-gel monolith.

A one-step, in situ, photopolymerization of a mixture of methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane in the presence of an acid catalyst, water, and toluene is accomplished in a 75 microm id polyimide-coated capillary using visible light (460 nm) for a 15 min irradiation time. The mixture is a two-component photosystem comprising Irgacure 784 photosensitizer and diphenyliodonium chloride photoinitiator. The visible photopolymerized sol-gel (vis-PSG) column shows RP chromatographic behavior. The analytical potential of these columns is demonstrated with the isocratic separation of small, neutral alkyl phenyl ketones. Operational parameters, such as mobile phase composition, field strength, and column temperature were varied to assess how they affect the separation performance of the monolith.

Enhanced proteolytic activity of covalently bound enzymes in photopolymerized sol gel.

Trypsin is covalently linked to a photopolymerized sol-gel monolith modified by incorporating poly(ethylene glycol) (PSG-PEG) for on-column digestion of N(alpha)-benzoyl-l-arginine ethyl ester (BAEE) and two peptides, neurotensin and insulin chain B. The coupling of the enzyme to the monolith is via room-temperature Schiff chemistry in which an alkoxysilane reagent (linker) with an aldehyde functional group links to an inactive amine on trypsin to form an imine bond. The proteolytic activity of the immobilized trypsin was measured by monitoring the formation of N alpha-benzoyl-L-arginine (BA), the digestion product of BAEE. The BA is separated from BAEE by capillary electrophoresis and detected downstream (18.5 cm from the microreactor) by absorption (254 nm). Using the Bradford assay, we determined that 97 ng of trypsin is bound to the 1-cm microreactor located at the entrance of capillary column. The bioactivity of the trypsin-PSG-PEG microreactor at 20 degrees C for the digestion of BAEE was found to be 2270 units/mg of immobilized trypsin. The bioactivity of trypsin bound to the capillary wall in the open segment upstream from the monolith was 332 units/mg of immobilized trypsin under the same conditions. In contrast, the activity of free trypsin could not be observed for the digestion of BAEE at 20 degrees C after 16 h of incubation time.

Capillary electrophoretic and micellar electrokinetic separations of asymmetric dimethyl-L-arginine and structurally related amino acids: quantitation in human plasma.

We report the development of efficient electrophoretic methods for the separation and quantification of L-arginine and six naturally occurring derivatives that are structurally and functionally related. Capillary electrophoresis (CE) employing a concentrated borate buffer at pH 9.4 achieves the separation of mixtures containing dimethyl-L-arginine, NG-monomethyl-L-arginine, L-arginine, L-homoarginine, L-ornithine, and L-citrulline as 4-fluoro-7-nitrobenzofurazan derivatives. In addition, the separation of the isomeric dimethyl-L-arginine derivatives (symmetric and asymmetric) is attained with baseline resolution by micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) when a high concentration of deoxycholic acid is added as a surfactant to the same running buffer. The influence of buffer type, concentration, and pH on the separation was studied to optimize separation conditions. The limit of quantitation (LOQ) for asymmetric dimethyl-L-arginine in aqueous solution was determined to be 20 microM using UV absorption in a CE separation and 0.1 microM using laser induced fluorescence (LIF) detection in an MEKC separation. This newly developed method was successfully applied for the quantitation of asymmetric dimethyl-L-arginine and L-arginine in human plasma samples at levels that might be used as a clinical diagnostic for cardiovascular disease (0.125 microM LOQ).

Integration of on-line protein digestion, peptide separation, and protein identification using pepsin-coated photopolymerized sol-gel columns and capillary electrophoresis/mass spectrometry.

A miniaturized pepsin reactor was prepared inside a fused-silica capillary (i.d. 75 microm) by coating a pepsin-containing gel on a photopolymerized porous silica monolith. The pepsin-encapsulated film was prepared by a sol-gel method. The sol-gel reaction was optimized so that the sol solution containing pepsin forms a thin film on the photopolymerized sol-gel (PSG) monolith that was initially fabricated at the inlet of the capillary. Pepsin was encapsulated into the gel matrix without losing its activity. The large surface area of the PSG monolith enabled the immobilized pepsin to achieve a high catalytic turnover rate, and the porous nature of the PSG promotes penetration of large molecular proteins into the column. The immobilized pepsin-digested peptides and proteins, and the resulting mixture of peptide fragments, could be directly separated in the portion of the capillary where no PSG monolith exists. The durability and repeatability of the fabricated pepsin-coated column was tested and found to be satisfactory. An acidic solution consisting of 0.5 M formic acid was used as the running buffer, because it suppresses the adsorption of proteins or peptides on the inner surface of the capillary as well as enables direct connection of the output of the capillary electrophoresis column to a mass spectrometer. The on-line digestion of insulin chain beta and lysozyme provides identification of the proteolytic peptides. Recovery was achieved for 100% of the insulin chain beta amino acid sequence and 73% of the lysozyme amino acid sequence.