A Kinetic and Spectroscopic Studies of Effect of Oxygen on Photopolymerization of Patterned Hydrogel Thin Film

Patterned hydrogel microstructures have potential application in the field of biomedical microdevices. A novel method was applied to fabricate thin film of hydrogel microstructure on gold surface by using microcontact printing. The reaction kinetics of the patterned hydrogel was studied in situ and spatially resolved in real-time with FTIR imaging techniques. The effect of oxygen inhibition during photopolymerization was also demonstrated using FTIR imaging. The oxygen inhibition during polymerization was reduced using a large amount of photo initiator and high UV intensity. A comprehensive one dimensional photopolymerization method was utilized to investigate the effect of oxygen on the photopolymerization of patterned hydrogel thin film. This novel fabrication and characterization method will facilitate the optimization of integration processes of patterned hydrogel films and its application in the field of biomedical microdevices.