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Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Author Spotlight: Revolutionizing Microfluidics Through Microchannel Fabrication on Nanopaper

Author Spotlight: Revolutionizing Microfluidics Through Microchannel Fabrication on Nanopaper

Published on: October 6, 2023

Enhanced capillary pumping using open-channel capillary trees with integrated paper pads.

Jodie C Tokihiro¹, Wan-Chen Tu¹, Jean Berthier¹

¹Department of Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA.

Physics of Fluids (Woodbury, N.Y. : 1994)

|September 7, 2023

Summary

Coupling capillary trees with paper pads significantly enhances capillary pumping performance in open microfluidics. This novel approach achieves high flow rates with viscous fluids, surpassing traditional capillary systems.

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Area of Science:

Microfluidics
Fluid Dynamics
Materials Science

Background:

Efficient capillary pumping is crucial for microfluidic devices.
Existing methods focus on capillary channels or absorbent materials separately.
Open microfluidics presents unique challenges and opportunities for fluid transport.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the synergistic effect of coupling capillary trees with paper pads for enhanced capillary pumping.
To evaluate the performance of this hybrid system with fluids of varying viscosity.

Main Methods:

Fabrication of capillary trees designed to mimic natural branching structures.
Integration of paper pads at the extremities of the capillary channels.
Experimental measurement of flow velocities and rates using different alcohol-based fluids (isopropyl alcohol, pentanol, nonanol).

Main Results:

The coupled system achieved high sustained flow rates, e.g., 7 mm/s with 50% isopropyl alcohol for over 30s.
Significant flow rates were maintained even with highly viscous fluids (nonanol) for extended periods (>150s).
The hybrid approach demonstrated a substantial increase in flow rate compared to capillary trees alone.

Conclusions:

Coupling capillary trees with paper pads offers a powerful strategy for enhancing capillary pumping in open microfluidics.
This method effectively overcomes limitations associated with fluid viscosity and enables higher sustained flow rates.
The findings have implications for designing advanced microfluidic devices requiring efficient passive fluid transport.