Polystyrene
Term: Polystyrene
Category: Substrates
Definition: Polystyrene (PS) is a synthetic polymer made from styrene. Polystyrene has desirable qualities of being transparent, strong, and easily shaped into useful objects for laboratory and medical applications. Generally speaking, polystyrene does not tend to hold on to or adhere to water or proteins/cells as a result of its nature; however, special surface treatments can be performed on polystyrene to enhance its adhesion, thereby allowing it to become an effective substrate for cell growth, microfluidic systems, and assays.
Structure: PS has a chain-like structure with repeating styrene units that include a special phenyl group.
Source: Synthetic
Common Uses:
Polystyrene is used to manufacture disposable biomedical devices such as
- Syringes
- Catheters
- Tubing
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