Open-channel, water-in-oil emulsification in paper-based microfluidic devices

Area of Science:

• Microfluidics
• Surface Science
• Materials Science
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Open-channel microfluidic devices offer cost-effective fluid control and rapid fabrication.
• Previous research primarily focused on controlling aqueous solutions, limiting applications for low surface tension liquids.
• A need exists for microfluidic systems capable of handling a wider range of liquid types, including oils.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel open-channel microfluidic devices for controlling high and low surface tension liquids.
• To demonstrate water-in-oil microfluidic emulsification within an open-channel device.
• To synthesize drug-loaded hydrogel microparticles and investigate their drug release properties.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of open-channel microfluidic devices utilizing patterned wettability surfaces.
• Controlled manipulation of various liquids, including low surface tension oils.
• Characterization of droplet size by adjusting flow rates of aqueous and organic phases.
• Synthesis and analysis of hydrogel microparticles and their drug release kinetics.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated precise control over a wide range of liquid surface tensions in open-channel devices.
• Achieved stable water-in-oil microfluidic emulsification in an open channel for the first time.
• Successfully produced tunable droplet sizes by manipulating flow rates.
• Synthesized monodisperse hydrogel microparticles loaded with a drug molecule.

Conclusions:

• Patterned wettability surfaces enable robust control of diverse liquids in open-channel microfluidics.
• These devices facilitate novel applications such as microfluidic emulsification and the production of functional microparticles.
• The developed hydrogel microparticles show potential for controlled drug delivery.