Linear polydimethylsiloxane microstructure fabrication by electrohydrodynamic printing with cone jet

Abstract

Background: Flexible polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) with linear microstructures plays an indispensable role in the fields of bioengineering and flexible sensing due to their excellent light transmittance and biocompatibility.Aim: We aim to address the challenge of achieving simple, environmentally friendly manufacturing of PDMS linear microstructures.Approach: A direct molding technique for fabricating high-quality PDMS microstructures by electrohydrodynamic printing with a cone jet was proposed. In this method, the viscosity of PDMS was changed by still setting at room temperature to print high-quality PDMS linear microstructures, without introducing any other chemical reagents. Results:The influences of the still-setting time and curing temperature on the surface topography and jet morphology were studied, and the impacts of working parameters on the width of linear microstructures and jet stability were also investigated. By optimizing the still-setting time and printing parameters, the PDMS linear microstructures with a line width of 165.6 μm were printed. Conclusions:This method provides a simple and environmentally friendly process to fabricate PDMS linear microstructures and facilitate their application.