In this review, we highlight the properties, functions and applications of stimuli-responsive hydrogel patterns in bioanalytical applications. Stimuli-responsive hydrogel patterns can be realized by well-established micro- and nanofabrication technologies such as photolithography and micromolding, and are currently adopted as active components for manipulation of flow and biosamples in microchannel and microarray systems. We overview the properties of stimuli-responsive hydrogel materials and their fabrication methods along with some representative examples in microfluidics and microarrays.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the electronic effects of nano-confinement (from 1D to 3D geometries) on optoelectronic materials and their applications.

We raise issues regarding the 3D printing of complex structures using UV-curable materials. Models of failures based on the transparency of the UV-curable materials, high absorption not reaching the upper parts, and mechanical failure are discussed.

Fabrication conditions for high-aspect-ratio MNs by the photopolymerization of PEGDA were investigated. The influence of prepolymer molecular weight and the degree of UV absorption by the photoinitiator (PI) were studied to optimize the conditions.

We present a simple approach to reversibly switch the direction of liquid flow on physically symmetric and chemically asymmetric prism structures by exploiting the reversibility of surface wetting properties of a thermo-responsive polymer, poly(N-isopropyl-acrylamide). Such an asymmetric prism array creates a flow path in the direction of the lower critical contact angle. This allows a unidirectional “step flow” across the ridges of prism channels, which can be made reversible with a suitable temperature change.