Empowering microfluidics by micro-3D printing and solution-based mineral coating.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Geoscience
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Fluid-solid interactions in porous media are crucial for diverse applications, including energy, environment, and medicine.
• High-resolution 3D printing offers precise fabrication of porous structures but lacks inherent surface functionality.
• Existing methods struggle to impart desired surface properties to complex 3D-printed porous architectures.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel additive fabrication approach integrating micro-3D printing with solution-based internal coating.
• To create functional porous micromodels replicating natural porous media, such as carbonate rock.
• To enable high-resolution imaging and characterization of microscopic fluid dynamics within these engineered porous materials.

Main Methods:

• Developed a hybrid approach combining micro-3D printing with in situ mineral coating.
• Utilized nanoparticle seeding and controlled crystal growth for conformal inner surface functionalization.
• Managed wetting and capillarity effects to ensure uniform coating and prevent pore blockage.

Main Results:

• Successfully fabricated transparent porous micromodels mimicking carbonate rock's geometry and mineralogy.
• Demonstrated controlled calcite nanoparticle immobilization and in situ crystal growth within the 3D-printed scaffold.
• Enabled direct visualization of wettability-dependent fluid propagation and phase transitions at the microscale.

Conclusions:

• The proposed integrated approach effectively creates functional porous devices with tailored surface properties.
• This method provides a versatile platform for studying complex fluid dynamics in geologically relevant porous media.
• The technique is adaptable for various applications requiring functionalized porous materials with controlled architectures.