Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets
Abstract Micron- and submicron-sized droplets have extensive applications in biomedical diagnosis and drug delivery. Moreover, accurate high-throughput analysis requires a uniform droplet size distribution and high production rates. Although the previously reported microfluidic coflow step-emulsific...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Publishing Group
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Microsystems & Nanoengineering |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-023-00558-4 |
| _version_ | 1797778821137563648 |
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| author | Biao Huang Xinjin Ge Boris Y. Rubinstein Xianchun Chen Lu Wang Huiying Xie Alexander M. Leshansky Zhenzhen Li |
| author_facet | Biao Huang Xinjin Ge Boris Y. Rubinstein Xianchun Chen Lu Wang Huiying Xie Alexander M. Leshansky Zhenzhen Li |
| author_sort | Biao Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Micron- and submicron-sized droplets have extensive applications in biomedical diagnosis and drug delivery. Moreover, accurate high-throughput analysis requires a uniform droplet size distribution and high production rates. Although the previously reported microfluidic coflow step-emulsification method can be used to generate highly monodispersed droplets, the droplet diameter (d) is constrained by the microchannel height (b), $$d\gtrsim 3b$$ d ≳ 3 b , while the production rate is limited by the maximum capillary number of the step-emulsification regime, impeding emulsification of highly viscous liquids. In this paper, we report a novel, gas-assisted coflow step-emulsification method, where air serves as the innermost phase of a precursor hollow-core air/oil/water emulsion. Air gradually diffuses out, producing oil droplets. The size of the hollow-core droplets and the ultrathin oil layer thickness both follow the scaling laws of triphasic step-emulsification. The minimal droplet size attains $$d\approx 1.7b$$ d ≈ 1.7 b , inaccessible in standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification. The production rate per single channel is an order-of-magnitude higher than that in the standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification and is also superior to alternative emulsification methods. Due to low gas viscosity, the method can also be used to generate micron- and submicron-sized droplets of high-viscosity fluids, while the inert nature of the auxiliary gas offers high versatility. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:23:04Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-38c5ef71d6fd4bf3a4a5c67c0ba77724 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2055-7434 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T23:23:04Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Microsystems & Nanoengineering |
| spelling | doaj.art-38c5ef71d6fd4bf3a4a5c67c0ba777242023-07-16T11:19:49ZengNature Publishing GroupMicrosystems & Nanoengineering2055-74342023-07-019111310.1038/s41378-023-00558-4Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized dropletsBiao Huang0Xinjin Ge1Boris Y. Rubinstein2Xianchun Chen3Lu Wang4Huiying Xie5Alexander M. Leshansky6Zhenzhen Li7Department of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian DistrictState Key Laboratory of Engines, Tianjin UniversityStowers Institute for Medical ResearchSchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of TechnologySchool of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian DistrictDepartment of Chemical Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of TechnologyDepartment of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian DistrictAbstract Micron- and submicron-sized droplets have extensive applications in biomedical diagnosis and drug delivery. Moreover, accurate high-throughput analysis requires a uniform droplet size distribution and high production rates. Although the previously reported microfluidic coflow step-emulsification method can be used to generate highly monodispersed droplets, the droplet diameter (d) is constrained by the microchannel height (b), $$d\gtrsim 3b$$ d ≳ 3 b , while the production rate is limited by the maximum capillary number of the step-emulsification regime, impeding emulsification of highly viscous liquids. In this paper, we report a novel, gas-assisted coflow step-emulsification method, where air serves as the innermost phase of a precursor hollow-core air/oil/water emulsion. Air gradually diffuses out, producing oil droplets. The size of the hollow-core droplets and the ultrathin oil layer thickness both follow the scaling laws of triphasic step-emulsification. The minimal droplet size attains $$d\approx 1.7b$$ d ≈ 1.7 b , inaccessible in standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification. The production rate per single channel is an order-of-magnitude higher than that in the standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification and is also superior to alternative emulsification methods. Due to low gas viscosity, the method can also be used to generate micron- and submicron-sized droplets of high-viscosity fluids, while the inert nature of the auxiliary gas offers high versatility.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-023-00558-4 |
| spellingShingle | Biao Huang Xinjin Ge Boris Y. Rubinstein Xianchun Chen Lu Wang Huiying Xie Alexander M. Leshansky Zhenzhen Li Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets Microsystems & Nanoengineering |
| title | Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets |
| title_full | Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets |
| title_fullStr | Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets |
| title_short | Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets |
| title_sort | gas assisted microfluidic step emulsification for generating micron and submicron sized droplets |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41378-023-00558-4 |
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