No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 October 2011
Applications of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) formed by the adsorption of alkanethiols onto gold surfaces have had a widespread growth in adhesion investigations, interfacial interaction investigations and other interfacial phenomena in recent years. As computational modelling showed that modified surfaces can segregate compliant microspheres, a microfluidic flow cell was designed to roll polymeric microcapsules on surfaces with different chemistries, in order to obtain experimental data to validate previous results. Particle image velocimetry showed that rolling speed of microcapsules is affected by surface chemistry. The velocity of vesicles rolling on thiol surfaces with positive of negative charged head groups was significantly lower than vesicles rolling on thiol surfaces with a hydrocarbon chain head group and pure gold surface respectively. Since fabrication of patterned SAMs with different thiol surfaces is possible through oxidation by UV light, our results point to a facile method for carrying out a continuous separation process.