Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics
Abstract Droplet microfluidics enables compartmentalized reactions in small scales and is utilized for a variety of applications across chemical analysis, material science, and biology. While droplet microfluidics is a successful technology, barriers include high “activation energy” to develop custo...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley-VCH
2023-03-01
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| Series: | Advanced Materials Interfaces |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202202234 |
| _version_ | 1827893272390926336 |
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| author | Jian Wei Khor Ulri N. Lee Jean Berthier Erwin Berthier Ashleigh B. Theberge |
| author_facet | Jian Wei Khor Ulri N. Lee Jean Berthier Erwin Berthier Ashleigh B. Theberge |
| author_sort | Jian Wei Khor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Droplet microfluidics enables compartmentalized reactions in small scales and is utilized for a variety of applications across chemical analysis, material science, and biology. While droplet microfluidics is a successful technology, barriers include high “activation energy” to develop custom applications and complex peripheral equipment. These barriers limit the adoption of droplet microfluidics in labs or prototyping environments. This work demonstrates for the first time an open channel droplet microfluidic system that autonomously generates droplets at low capillary numbers. Hundreds of droplets are produced in a run using only an open channel, pipettes, and a commercially available carrier fluid. Conceptual applications that showcase the process of droplet generation, splitting, transport, incubation, mixing, and sorting are demonstrated. The open nature of the device enables the use of physical tools such as tweezers and styli to directly access the system; with this, a new method of droplet sorting and transfer unique to open systems is demonstrated. This platform offers enhanced usability, direct access to the droplet contents, easy manufacturability, compact footprint, and high customizability. This design is a first step in exploring the space of power‐free open droplet microfluidic systems and provides design rules for similar channel designs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:51:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b1d8716c935d48029200d5c66a03b8e4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2196-7350 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:51:26Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Wiley-VCH |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advanced Materials Interfaces |
| spelling | doaj.art-b1d8716c935d48029200d5c66a03b8e42023-07-26T01:36:19ZengWiley-VCHAdvanced Materials Interfaces2196-73502023-03-01107n/an/a10.1002/admi.202202234Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet MicrofluidicsJian Wei Khor0Ulri N. Lee1Jean Berthier2Erwin Berthier3Ashleigh B. Theberge4Department of Chemistry University of Washington Box 351700 Seattle WA 98195 USADepartment of Chemistry University of Washington Box 351700 Seattle WA 98195 USADepartment of Chemistry University of Washington Box 351700 Seattle WA 98195 USADepartment of Chemistry University of Washington Box 351700 Seattle WA 98195 USADepartment of Chemistry University of Washington Box 351700 Seattle WA 98195 USAAbstract Droplet microfluidics enables compartmentalized reactions in small scales and is utilized for a variety of applications across chemical analysis, material science, and biology. While droplet microfluidics is a successful technology, barriers include high “activation energy” to develop custom applications and complex peripheral equipment. These barriers limit the adoption of droplet microfluidics in labs or prototyping environments. This work demonstrates for the first time an open channel droplet microfluidic system that autonomously generates droplets at low capillary numbers. Hundreds of droplets are produced in a run using only an open channel, pipettes, and a commercially available carrier fluid. Conceptual applications that showcase the process of droplet generation, splitting, transport, incubation, mixing, and sorting are demonstrated. The open nature of the device enables the use of physical tools such as tweezers and styli to directly access the system; with this, a new method of droplet sorting and transfer unique to open systems is demonstrated. This platform offers enhanced usability, direct access to the droplet contents, easy manufacturability, compact footprint, and high customizability. This design is a first step in exploring the space of power‐free open droplet microfluidic systems and provides design rules for similar channel designs.https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202202234droplet microfluidicsinterfacial tensionopen microfluidicssurface tensionwetting |
| spellingShingle | Jian Wei Khor Ulri N. Lee Jean Berthier Erwin Berthier Ashleigh B. Theberge Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics Advanced Materials Interfaces droplet microfluidics interfacial tension open microfluidics surface tension wetting |
| title | Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics |
| title_full | Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics |
| title_fullStr | Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics |
| title_short | Interfacial Tension Driven Open Droplet Microfluidics |
| title_sort | interfacial tension driven open droplet microfluidics |
| topic | droplet microfluidics interfacial tension open microfluidics surface tension wetting |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/admi.202202234 |
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