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Glass Microwave Microfluidic Devices for Broadband Characterization of Diverse Fluids
Jacob T Pawlik1, Tomasz Karpisz2, Yasaman Kazemipour3
1National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 USA.
IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques
|February 19, 2025
Summary
This study introduces a novel glass microwave microfluidic device for precise dielectric permittivity measurements of various liquid chemicals. The solvent-resistant design enables accurate broadband dielectric spectroscopy for challenging organic solvents.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Analytical Chemistry
- Electrical Engineering
Background:
- Conventional polymer-based microfluidic devices exhibit swelling in organic solvents, limiting their application in dielectric spectroscopy.
- Accurate permittivity determination of liquid chemicals is crucial for various scientific and industrial applications.
- Existing methods for broadband dielectric spectroscopy of organic solvents are often limited by material compatibility and solvent resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and demonstrate a robust glass microwave microfluidic device for broadband dielectric spectroscopy.
- To overcome the limitations of polymer-based devices when analyzing organic solvents.
- To accurately determine the permittivity of challenging liquid chemicals from 100 MHz to 30 GHz.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of a microfluidic device using glass channels integrated with platinum coplanar waveguides (CPWs).
- Utilizing broadband scattering parameter measurements with a vector network analyzer (VNA).
- Employing multiline thru-reflect-line (mTRL) calibrations to extract circuit parameters and solve for fluid permittivity.
Main Results:
- The glass microwave microfluidic device demonstrated high solvent resistance, suitable for analyzing organic solvents.
- Accurate permittivity values were obtained for hexane, heptane, decane, and toluene across a wide frequency range (100 MHz to 30 GHz).
- The device provides associated uncertainties for the measured permittivity values.
Conclusions:
- The developed glass microwave microfluidic device offers a reliable and solvent-resistant platform for broadband dielectric spectroscopy.
- This technology enables accurate permittivity measurements of a wide range of liquid chemicals, including those previously difficult to analyze.
- The device has significant potential for applications in chemical analysis, materials characterization, and quality control.
