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Updated: Sep 10, 2026

Phase Diagram Characterization Using Magnetic Beads as Liquid Carriers
Published on: September 4, 2015
Phase separation switches the protonation equilibrium in an ionic liquid aqueous solution
Moe Akazawa1, Yasuyuki Tsuboi1, Ken-Ichi Yuyama1
1Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 3-3-138 Sugimoto Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka-Shi, 558-8585, Japan. k-yuyama@omu.ac.jp.
Abstract:
Liquid-liquid phase separation of an ionic liquid/water mixture generates a microdroplet that switches the protonation equilibrium. Protonation is induced upon droplet formation by optical tweezing. The equilibrium shifts back toward deprotonation as the droplet grows and its composition changes. This work demonstrates the phase-separated droplet as an optically tunable microreactor.
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