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Fluid interfaces laden by force dipoles: towards active matter-driven microfluidic flows.

Kuntal Patel1, Holger Stark1

  • 1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, Hardenbergstr. 36, 10623 Berlin, Germany. kuntal.h.patel@tu-berlin.de.

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This summary is machine-generated.

Active particles in microfluidics can control droplet formation. Contractile force dipoles destabilize fluid interfaces, leading to droplet breakup and controllable formation via switchable activity.

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Area of Science:

  • Nonlinear microfluidics
  • Active matter physics
  • Fluid dynamics

Background:

  • Microfluidic devices and lab-on-a-chip technologies are crucial for chemical and biomedical applications.
  • Active matter principles can be integrated into microfluidic systems to generate novel fluid behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of active particles and their forces in destabilizing fluid interfaces within microfluidic channels.
  • To explore the control of droplet formation through active particle dynamics and tunable activity.

Main Methods:

  • Lattice-Boltzmann simulations were employed to model fluid flow.
  • Phase field dynamics captured the interface behavior.
  • An advection-diffusion equation tracked the active particle density.

Main Results:

  • Contractile force dipoles were identified as the key factor in destabilizing the fluid interface, leading to viscous fingering and droplet breakup.
  • A critical activity threshold, related to surface tension, is required to initiate interface instability.
  • Steady interface deformations were observed, dependent on force dipole density.

Conclusions:

  • Active particles with contractile dipoles can induce and control droplet formation in microfluidic systems.
  • Switchable activity offers a mechanism for precise control over droplet generation.
  • This research opens new possibilities for microfluidic applications in droplet manipulation.