Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric Microparticles
Janus droplets can function as excellent templates for fabricating physically and chemically anisotropic particles. Here, we report new surfactant-laden Janus droplets with curvature controllability and enhanced stability against coalescence, suitable for fabricating shape-anisotropic polymer microp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Micromachines |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/1/29 |
| _version_ | 1797543160063197184 |
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| author | Siyuan Xu Takasi Nisisako |
| author_facet | Siyuan Xu Takasi Nisisako |
| author_sort | Siyuan Xu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Janus droplets can function as excellent templates for fabricating physically and chemically anisotropic particles. Here, we report new surfactant-laden Janus droplets with curvature controllability and enhanced stability against coalescence, suitable for fabricating shape-anisotropic polymer microparticles. Using a microfluidic flow-focusing device on a glass chip, nanoliter-sized biphasic droplets, comprising an acrylate monomer segment and a silicone-oil (SO) segment containing a surfactant, were produced in a co-flowing aqueous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. At equilibrium, the droplets formed a Janus geometry based on the minimization of interfacial energy, and each of the two Janus segments were uniform in size with coefficient-of-variation values below 3%. By varying the concentration of the surfactant in the SO phase, the curvature of the interface between the two lobes could be shifted among concave, planar, and convex shapes. In addition, the Janus droplets exhibited significantly improved stability against coalescence compared with previously reported Janus droplets carrying no surfactant that coalesced rapidly. Finally, via off-chip photopolymerization, concave-convex, planar-convex, and biconvex lens-shaped particles were fabricated. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:40:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-81c5ecc8fe4f415f87b96984ce45f772 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-666X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T13:40:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Micromachines |
| spelling | doaj.art-81c5ecc8fe4f415f87b96984ce45f7722023-11-21T03:02:18ZengMDPI AGMicromachines2072-666X2020-12-011212910.3390/mi12010029Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric MicroparticlesSiyuan Xu0Takasi Nisisako1Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo 152-8550, JapanInstitute of Innovative Research, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503, JapanJanus droplets can function as excellent templates for fabricating physically and chemically anisotropic particles. Here, we report new surfactant-laden Janus droplets with curvature controllability and enhanced stability against coalescence, suitable for fabricating shape-anisotropic polymer microparticles. Using a microfluidic flow-focusing device on a glass chip, nanoliter-sized biphasic droplets, comprising an acrylate monomer segment and a silicone-oil (SO) segment containing a surfactant, were produced in a co-flowing aqueous polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) solution. At equilibrium, the droplets formed a Janus geometry based on the minimization of interfacial energy, and each of the two Janus segments were uniform in size with coefficient-of-variation values below 3%. By varying the concentration of the surfactant in the SO phase, the curvature of the interface between the two lobes could be shifted among concave, planar, and convex shapes. In addition, the Janus droplets exhibited significantly improved stability against coalescence compared with previously reported Janus droplets carrying no surfactant that coalesced rapidly. Finally, via off-chip photopolymerization, concave-convex, planar-convex, and biconvex lens-shaped particles were fabricated.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/1/29microfluidicsJanus dropletsurfactantinterfacial tensionstabilitymicrolens |
| spellingShingle | Siyuan Xu Takasi Nisisako Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric Microparticles Micromachines microfluidics Janus droplet surfactant interfacial tension stability microlens |
| title | Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric Microparticles |
| title_full | Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric Microparticles |
| title_fullStr | Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric Microparticles |
| title_full_unstemmed | Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric Microparticles |
| title_short | Surfactant-Laden Janus Droplets with Tunable Morphologies and Enhanced Stability for Fabricating Lens-Shaped Polymeric Microparticles |
| title_sort | surfactant laden janus droplets with tunable morphologies and enhanced stability for fabricating lens shaped polymeric microparticles |
| topic | microfluidics Janus droplet surfactant interfacial tension stability microlens |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-666X/12/1/29 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT siyuanxu surfactantladenjanusdropletswithtunablemorphologiesandenhancedstabilityforfabricatinglensshapedpolymericmicroparticles AT takasinisisako surfactantladenjanusdropletswithtunablemorphologiesandenhancedstabilityforfabricatinglensshapedpolymericmicroparticles |