Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 10, 2026
11:08
Generation of Size-controlled Poly (ethylene Glycol) Diacrylate Droplets via Semi-3-Dimensional Flow Focusing Microfluidic Devices
Published on: July 3, 2018
A microfluidic chip using phenol formaldehyde resin for uniform-sized polycaprolactone and chitosan microparticle
Yung-Sheng Lin1, Chih-Hui Yang, Chin-Tung Wu
1Department of Applied Cosmetology and Master Program of Cosmetic Science, Hungkuang University, Taichung 43302, Taiwan. linys@sunrise.hk.edu.tw
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 6, 2013
Summary
A new phenol formaldehyde resin (PFR) microfluidic chip offers solvent resistance and easy reuse for microparticle fabrication. This platform enables precise control over particle size for applications in materials science.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Microfluidics
Background:
- Conventional microfluidic chips often lack solvent resistance, limiting their use with various polymers.
- Developing robust and reusable microfluidic platforms is crucial for efficient microparticle synthesis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel solvent-compatible microfluidic chip using phenol formaldehyde resin (PFR).
- To demonstrate the platform's capability in preparing both solvent-dependent and nonsolvent-dependent microparticles.
- To evaluate the control over particle size and distribution.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a microfluidic chip using phenol formaldehyde resin (PFR).
- Preparation of polycaprolactone (PCL) and chitosan microparticles using the PFR chip.
- Adjustment of microparticle size by controlling flow rates of dispersed and continuous phases.
Main Results:
- The PFR microfluidic chip exhibited excellent solvent resistance and reusability.
- Successfully synthesized polycaprolactone microparticles (29.3–62.7 μm) and chitosan microparticles (215.5–566.3 μm).
- Achieved a narrow size distribution with a 10% relative standard deviation for the microparticles.
Conclusions:
- The PFR microfluidic platform provides an efficient, low-cost, and high-throughput method for microparticle production.
- The platform allows for active control of particle size and narrow size distribution.
- The developed chip is a promising tool for advanced materials synthesis and microfabrication.
