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Sheathless Elasto-Inertial Focusing of Sub-25 Nm Particles in Straight Microchannels
Selim Tanriverdi1,2, Javier Cruz1,3, Shahriar Habibi4
1Division of Nanobiotechnology, Department of Protein Science, Science for Life Laboratory, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Solna, 171 65, Sweden.
Small (Weinheim an Der Bergstrasse, Germany)
|June 25, 2025
Summary
Elasto-inertial focusing successfully manipulates nanoparticles as small as 25 nm in microchannels. This breakthrough enables precise separation of nanoscale biological particles for diagnostics and drug delivery.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Microfluidics
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Nanoscale biological particles (lipoproteins, extracellular vesicles) are vital in health and disease.
- Accurate analysis of these particles is critical for diagnostics and nanomedicine.
- Elasto-inertial focusing is challenging for nanoparticles (<500 nm).
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate elasto-inertial focusing of nanoparticles as small as 25 nm.
- To investigate factors influencing nanoparticle focusing in microchannels.
- To provide insights into particle dynamics and viscoelastic forces.
Main Methods:
- Experimental demonstration of elasto-inertial focusing in straight high-aspect-ratio microchannels.
- Sheathless flow for nanoparticle manipulation.
- Systematic investigation of channel width, particle size, viscoelastic concentration, and flow rate.
- Numerical simulations and experimental validation.
Main Results:
- Successful focusing of nanoparticles down to 25 nm.
- Detailed understanding of the influence of various parameters on focusing.
- Insights into particle migration and viscoelastic forces.
- Demonstrated focusing of liposomes, extracellular vesicles, and lipoproteins.
Conclusions:
- Elasto-inertial focusing is effective for small nanoparticles (<500 nm).
- Optimized conditions enable precise size-based separation of biological nanoparticles.
- Potential applications in medical diagnostics, drug delivery, and environmental science.
