The detection of rare circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in patients' blood is crucial for the early diagnosis of cancer, highly precise cancer therapy and monitoring therapeutic outcomes in real time. In this study we have developed an efficient strategy to capture and detect CTCs from the blood of cancer patients using a benzoboric acid modified gold-plated polymeric substrate with a regular 3D surface array. Compared with the smooth substrate, the substrate with the surface 3D microarrays exhibited a higher capture efficiency, i.e. 3.8 times that afforded by the smooth substrate. Additionally, due to the reversible reaction between the benzoboric acid on the 3D microarray and the sialic acid on CTCs, our strategy allowed for easy detachment of the captured CTCs from the substrate without causing critical damage to the cells. This will be of benefit for gaining further access to these rare cells for downstream characterization. The proposed strategy provides several advantages, including enhanced capture efficiency, high sensitivity, low cost and recovery of isolated CTCs, and could become a promising platform for early stage diagnosis of cancer.

A shape memory light-induced microfluidic technology is applied in preprogrammed microfluidic chip based on shape memory gold nanoparticles/poly (vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites. The shape memory gold nanoparticles/poly (vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites display excellent light-induced shape memory property with recovery ratio of nearly 100% in visible light. The crosslinked network of light-induced shape memory gold nanoparticles/poly (vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites forms by aldol reaction, esterification, and/or hydrogen bonding of poly (vinyl alcohol), glutaraldehyde, and gold nanoparticles. The light-induced shape memory mechanism of shape memory gold nanoparticles/poly (vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites is based on photothermal effect of gold nanoparticles and shape memory effect of poly (vinyl alcohol)-based shape memory polymer (SMP). In this report, a light-induced microfluidic microvalve is demonstrated based on the shape memory gold nanoparticles/poly (vinyl alcohol) nanocomposites. This research presents demonstration of the shape memory light-induced intelligent microfluidic chip. The light-induced SMP microfluidic microvalve would yield practical, physical, and technological advantages for disposable integrated microfluidic chip laboratories.

Arrays of nanostructure that are capable of broadband antireflection and light trapping properties are implemented in photovoltaic and photonic devices. However, most of the existing antireflection films have been hindered by a complicated fabricated method and structurally rigid. Here, we report a simple preparation method for self-erasable nanocone antireflection films using the surface replication method. Arrays of nanocone with sub-100 nm surface features could be replicated easily on the shape memory polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film, and are erased by thermal stimulation. The reflectivity of self-erasable antireflection film can be switched from the 4.5% to 0.6% averaged over the visible spectral range by controlling the temperature below or above 80 °C. Theoretical simulations have been demonstrated. The unique smart film is expected to be used to further extend the application of smart optical windows and digital screens.

Vapor cells as the key part of chip-scale atomic clocks determine their volume stability and power consumption. Micro-fabrication, especially the cavity packaging, is challenging. In this paper, micro-fabricated rubidium vapor cells are fabricated and the Au-In TLP bonding with asymmetric metal configuration is proposed and designed to package wafer-scale cell chips at a low processing temperature of 200 °C. Tests show that the designed intermetallic compounds AuIn ₂ and AuIn are uniformly formed in the asymmetric TLP bonding interlayer, indicating that the bonded interlayer can endure a post-processing temperature as high as 490 °C. The TLP bonded surface exhibits shear strength of 31.68 MPa, and the upper limit for the leak rate of the sealed vapor cell is 5 × 10 ⁻¹⁰ mbar · L s ^–1 which remains stable after undergoing a high temperature post-treatment. Meaning the proposed Au-In TLP bonding technique is applicable at low-temperature, hermetic and reliable wafer-scale packaging for micro-fabricated alkali vapor cells.