Surface functionalization of low-cost textile-based microfluidics for manipulation of electrophoretic selectivity of charged analytes

Abstract Textile-based microfluidics offer new opportunities for developing low-cost, open surface-assessable analytical systems the electrophoretic analysis of complex chemical and biological matrixes. In contrast to fluidic transport in typical chip-based enclosed capillaries where direct access sample zone during is a real challenge. Herein, we demonstrate that selectivity could be easily manipulated on these inverted low-cost bespoke textile substrates via simple surface-functionalization manipulate, redirect, extract, characterize charged analytes. This approach enables significant improvement separation isotachophoretic (ITP) preconcentration solutes at surface surface-accessible 3D constructs. this work, polyester braided structures have been developed using conventional braiding technique used as substrates, which were modified by dip-coating with polycationic polymers such chitosan polyethyleneimine (PEIn). The functionalization resulted modulation electroosmotic flow (EOF) mobilities respect unmodified substrates. Chitosan outperformed PEIn terms efficient stacking an anionic solute. However, modification suppression EOF over broad range pH values from 3 9 exhibited fast acidic compared controlled polyester, promising basic proteins. These findings suggest great potential development affordable textile-based devices controlling specific migration, direction, time, Graphical abstract