| Transparency |
Good |
Good |
| Autofluorescence |
Low (the right polymer choice is important) |
Low |
| Application in the UV region |
In near UV, special polymers are available |
Quartz glass needs to be chosen |
| Surface roughness |
Can be optically smooth |
Depending on technology |
| Thermal stability |
Depending on the polymer choice, 100 °C is possible |
Approximately 600 °C transition to the liquid phase |
| Stability against organic solvents |
Limited |
High |
| Stability against standard solvents in life sciences |
Polymers available |
High |
| Stability against basic solutions |
High |
Medium |
| Stability against acidic solutions |
High |
High |
| Unspecific binding of biological components |
Polymers with low unspecific binding are available, and surface functionalization to avoid the issue is available |
High, surface functionalization to avoid the issue available |
