UV-initiated copolymerization route for facile fabrication of epoxy-functionalized micro-zone plates

Bisphenol A-based epoxy acrylate (BABEA), a commercial ultraviolet (UV)-curable material, was introduced as a new manufacturing material for facile fabrication of epoxy-functionalized micro-zone plates through UV-initiated copolymerization using glycidyl methacrylate (GMA) as the functional monomer. The poly (BABEA- co -GMA) was highly transparent in visible range while highly opaque when the wavelength is less than 295 nm, and of high replication fidelity. X-ray photoelectron spectroscope (XPS) results indicated the existence of epoxy groups on the surface of the poly (BABEA- co -GMA), which allowed for binding protein through an epoxy-amino group reaction. A fabrication procedure was proposed for manufacturing BABEA based epoxy-functionalized micro-zone plates. The fabrication procedure was very simple; obviating the need of micromachining equipments, wet etching or imprinting techniques. To evaluate the BABEA-based epoxy-functionalized micro-zone plates, α-fetoprotein (AFP) was immobilized onto the capture zone for chemiluminescent (CL) detection in a noncompetitive immune response format. The proposed AFP immunoaffinity micro-zone plate was demonstrated as a low cost, flexible, homogeneous, and stable assay for α-fetoprotein (AFP). © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014 , 131 , 39787.