Zhang Shuyu, Staples Anne E
Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Blacksburg, VA USA.
Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA USA.
Npj Mater Degrad. 2025;9(1):109. doi: 10.1038/s41529-025-00659-7. Epub 2025 Aug 21.
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a synthetic elastomer widely used in biomedical and industrial applications. Despite its widespread use, the natural evolution of its mechanical and surface properties over time remains poorly understood. In this study, we fabricated PDMS samples with base-to-curing agent mixing ratios from 5:1 to 30:1 and aged them for up to 8 weeks under six non-harsh conditions at room temperature. Contact angle measurements revealed increasing hydrophobicity with aging, with maximum increases up to 16.5°. Mechanical testing showed up to 130% increases in Young's modulus and 60% changes in flexibility after 5 weeks. Storage in mineral oil best preserved surface hydrophilicity, while storage in water best maintained mechanical integrity. These results provide a framework for optimizing PDMS storage conditions in microfluidic and biomedical device applications.
聚二甲基硅氧烷（PDMS）是一种广泛应用于生物医学和工业领域的合成弹性体。尽管其应用广泛，但随着时间推移其机械性能和表面性能的自然演变仍知之甚少。在本研究中，我们制备了基料与固化剂混合比例从5:1到30:1的PDMS样品，并在室温下的六种非苛刻条件下对其进行长达8周的老化处理。接触角测量结果表明，随着老化时间的增加，疏水性增强，最大增加幅度达16.5°。力学测试显示，5周后杨氏模量增加了高达130%，柔韧性变化了60%。储存在矿物油中能最好地保持表面亲水性，而储存在水中能最好地维持机械完整性。这些结果为优化微流控和生物医学设备应用中的PDMS储存条件提供了一个框架。
