Our technology - Controlling Elastomer Interfaces

Wettable Interfaces:
Elastomers/Rubbers frequently succeed or fail at their interfaces. Our technologies provide new routes to passivate or funtionalize rubbers interfaces to give them new, useful properties.
The wetting agents render standard silicone elastomers highly water wettable (contact angles on flat surfaces between 10° to 20°) after device formation in a simple and straightforward manner.

Benefits for microfluidic devices:

  • Aqueous fluids move through channels without the need for pumps;
  • Flow rates through multiple parallel flow path on same level can be controlled;
  • Undesired bubbles don't form during loading of aqueous samples;
  • Modified silicone surfaces are highly resistant to fouling by analytes or biological entities, reducing sample loss or clogging of the channels.

Benefits for microcontact printing stamps:

  • Aqueous or polar inks print reproducibly over extended periods of time.



Wettable Silicone Surfaces
n-Wet converts standard silicone elastomers into highly wettable silicones simply by incorporation into the pre-cured elastomer.
Microfluidics: No pumping! No Bubbles

Fluid migration by capillary forces alone through a 16 x 7 μm microchannel.

Microfluidic device by Prof. Ravi Selvaganapathy, Wettability by EnRoute Interfaces Inc.

Fluid flows through a silicone-based complex multichannel microfluidic device only by capillary action.

Microfluidic oxygenator device by Profs. Christoph Fusch and Ravi Selvaganapathy, Wettability by EnRoute Interfaces Inc.

EnRoute Interfaces is a supplier of silicone surface solutions. We provide microfluidic device makers with our proprietary hydrophilic modification solutions and products (n-Wet series) that create highly wettable, very low fouling  channels and surfaces. There is no need to change your device design or your choice of materials. Unlike other hydrophilic modification methods, our hydrophilic surface solution is a one-step simple and easy process that leads to long-term stable, wettable interfaces.

We work with customers to create innovative silicone surface solutions and new silicone-based materials that improve device performance and functionality.

With full access to the state-of-art facilities of Biointerfaces Institute of McMaster University and The Canadian Centre for Electron Microscopy (CCEM), we provide a wide range of surface analysis services.

We continually advance our  platforms and processes for the technologies to transform standard silicone into highly hydrophilic and surface-active silicones to meet the requirements of your devices.

We look forward to working with you to create a surface wettability solution that meets your device needs.  Contact us today to discuss your requirements: