Fabrication and Characterization of Metallic Glass Nanowire-Anchored Microfluidic Channels

Abstract

Nanowire-based microfluidic devices combine the strengths of microfluidics and nanostructures for applications in cell biology and chemical sensing. However, their use has been limited by the complexity of the fabrication methods. In this study, we present a simple approach for fabricating and integrating metallic glass nanowires into microfluidic channels. Metallic glass nanowires were formed by thermoplastic drawing on a silicon substrate. The silicon-anchored nanowire array was sealed with a polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) channel to create a nanowire-integrated microfluidic device. The effect of nanowire geometry on the flowrate was characterized. The experimental results were compared with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to understand the fluid–nanowire interaction. The potential of surface modification to functionalize the metallic glass nanowires was evaluated.