DefinePK

Abstract

Poly-dimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is commonly used to fabricate microfluidic devices, micro-lens and biosensors. The biocompatibility of PDMS allows it to be applied in biomedical field. In this paper, suspension polymerization technique was employed to fabricate microspheres of PDMS. Solution of PDMS was prepared by adding curing agent into the base elastomer. The un-cured PDMS was heated at 40 0C and stirred from 500 to 800 rpm in order to polymerize the polymer at various stirring speed in the presence of a surfactant which consists of distilled water and poly-vinyl alcohol. The result showed that the size of the PDMS microspheres was highly variable and slightly influenced by the speed of stirring. These elastomeric microspheres can be stained by dissolving red food dye in Toluene. The microspheres produced may be applicable to biosensing that do not require standardization of microsphere size.