A facile and novel fabrication method for paper-based microchips, usually called μPADs (microfluidic paper-based analytical devices) or “lab-on-paper”, has been developed. Through inkjet-printing and green chemical integration technology, lab-on-paper was successfully fabricated. Conductive electrodes were printed on paper substrates prepared from highly-beaten cotton linter pulps. For patterning of microchannels, volatile organic compounds (VOC)-free UV-curable ink was printed as surrounding microchannel patterns followed by UV curing. For enzymatic electrochemical detection, poly(dopamine) (PDA) were used as an immobilization support of enzyme. By applying this method to determination of glucose concentrations, electrochemical response was successfully enhanced.
Kento Maejima, Toshiharu Enomae, Akira Isogai, Koji Suzuki, Daniel Citterio, "All-inkjet-printed “lab-on-paper” with Electrodes and Microchannels" in Proc. IS&T Int'l Conf. on Digital Printing Technologies and Digital Fabrication (NIP28), 2012, pp 554 - 556, https://doi.org/10.2352/ISSN.2169-4451.2012.28.1.art00075_2