Traveling-wave electrophoresis for microfluidic separations

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Chemistry
• Engineering

Background:

• Electrophoretic separation is a common technique for analyzing charged particles.
• Controlling particle movement in microfluidic channels is crucial for advanced separation.
• Existing methods may lack tunable control over particle trapping and velocity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel electrophoretic separation technique using a tunable electric wave.
• To model and experimentally validate particle trapping and velocity control in microfluidic devices.
• To investigate the dynamics of charged particles under traveling electric fields.

Main Methods:

• Development of theoretical models for particle dynamics in a viscous fluid under a longitudinal electric wave.
• Fabrication and utilization of microfluidic devices with electrode arrays to generate the electric wave.
• Experimental application of periodic potentials to control particle mobilities and observe trapping phenomena.
• Comparison of predicted average velocities with experimental measurements.

Main Results:

• Successful trapping of charged particles with mobilities exceeding a tunable threshold.
• Experimental validation of predicted average particle velocities.
• Observation of chaotic attractors in particle dynamics for intermediate mobilities.
• Demonstration of tunable control over particle separation based on mobility.

Conclusions:

• The presented technique offers a novel method for electrophoretic separation with tunable control.
• The models accurately predict particle behavior, validating the experimental approach.
• The findings open possibilities for advanced particle manipulation and separation in microfluidic systems.