Free-Boundary Microfluidic Platform for Advanced Materials Manufacturing and Applications.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science and Engineering
• Microfluidics
• Advanced Manufacturing

Background:

• Microfluidics enables precise fluid manipulation at the microscale.
• Conventional microfluidic systems use closed channels.
• Free-boundary microfluidic manufacturing (FBMM) operates in open environments, offering advantages over closed systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of recent advancements in free-boundary microfluidic manufacturing (FBMM).
• To cover technical principles, advanced material manufacturing, and applications of FBMM.
• To summarize current progress and future challenges in FBMM.

Main Methods:

• Categorization of FBMM based on foundational mechanisms: hydrodynamics, interface effects, acoustics, and electrohydrodynamics.
• Discussion of fluid manipulation processes and mechanisms.
• Presentation of advanced material manufacturing across zero- to three-dimensional scales.

Main Results:

• FBMM demonstrates superior flexibility, stability, economy, usability, and versatility.
• FBMM facilitates the manufacturing of advanced materials in various dimensions.
• Diverse applications of FBMM are presented in material science, biomedical engineering, and general engineering.

Conclusions:

• FBMM is a powerful and adaptable tool for advanced materials manufacturing.
• FBMM has significant potential for a wide range of applications.
• Further research is needed to address future challenges in FBMM technology.