Safety
- Safety goggles
- Latex or nitrile gloves
- Rubber gloves
- Face shield
- Lab coat
- Lab apron
- Fume hood
Materials
- Sulfuric acid
- Hydrogen peroxide
- Spill dish
- Distilled water in small beaker
- Reaction vial and transport container
- Bluesorb wipes
- 2 pipettes and a rubber bulb
Description
Piranha is a powerful mix of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, used to clean microfluidic channels and render surfaces highly hydrophilic. Since it acts as an oxidizer, it is particularly useful against organics. The idea is to mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide into 3 parts sulphuric acid. For microfluidic cleansing, you'll only require a small amount (about 4ml). Don't make any more then you need!
Preparation
- Lay out a few Bluesorb wipes around your work area in the fume hood, especially in areas prone to spillage. Place your distilled water beaker, reaction vial and transport container in the spill dish. Be sure to rinse the reaction vial well with distilled water.
- Take out the sulfuric acid bottle from the acid safety cupboard, and place inside the spill dish. Using the pipette, carefully transfer 3ml into the reaction vial. For added safety, do so with body behind the fume hood's window.
- Rinse out the pipette with the distilled water, then do so with water from fume hood faucet and discard in Broken Glass box.
- Clean up any drops and replace sulfuric acid bottle in the acid safety cupboard.
- Take out the hydrogen peroxide from the refrigerator, and place inside the spill dish. Using the 2nd pipette, carefully transfer 1 ml into the reaction vial. Be sure to mix both reactants by moving the liquid up and down the pipette.
- Rinse the pipette in the distilled water, then do so with water from fume hood faucet and discard in Broken Glass box.
- Clean up any drops and replace hydrogen peroxide in the refrigerator.
- At this point you should observe bubbles making their way to the surface. Seal the transport container and bring it over over to your setup, you're all set!
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