Fabrication of multifunctional sponge and its application to pathogen isolation

Abstract

Cost-effective oil/water separation method with high selectivity is highly required in various fields. In particular, extraction of target nucleic acid from heterogeneous mixture containing amplification inhibitors, such as solid particles and oil components, is crucial in molecular diagnostics. Conventional separation methods require complex process, high cost and long process time, and has low scalability. Herein, we developed an alternative method for nucleic acid extraction using commercially available melamine sponge and one-step surface modification via initiated chemical vapor deposition (iCVD) process. Highly porous and flexible pristine hydrophilic sponge and surface modified oleophilic and hydrophobic melamine sponge exhibited highly selective water and oil separation property and recyclability. Furthermore, they allowed the extraction of Escherichia coli O157:H7 (E. coli O157:H7) from heterogeneous mixture with oil/water/food particles. Surface modified melamine sponge achieved by simple and one-step fabrication via iCVD process could be a novel platform for oil/water separation and extraction of target material from heterogeneous mixture to enhance the efficiency of molecular diagnostics.