Surface Modification for Microreactor Fabrication

Abstract: In this paper, methods of surface modification of different supports, i.e. glass andpolymeric beads for enzyme immobilisation are described. The developed method ofenzyme immobilisation is based on Schiff’s base formation between the amino groups onthe enzyme surface and the aldehyde groups on the chemically modified surface of thesupports. The surface of silicon modified by APTS and GOPS with immobilised enzymewas characterised by atomic force microscopy (AFM), time-of-flight secondary ion massspectroscopy (ToF-SIMS) and infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The supports withimmobilised enzyme (urease) were also tested in combination with microreactors fabricatedin silicon and Perspex, operating in a flow-through system. For microreactors filled withurease immobilised on glass beads (Sigma) and on polymeric beads (PAN), a very high andstable signal (pH change) was obtained. The developed method of urease immobilisationcan be stated to be very effective.