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Chakra A, Singh N, Vladisavljević GT, Nadal F, Cottin-Bizonne C, Pirat C, Bolognesi G. Continuous Manipulation and Characterization of Colloidal Beads and Liposomes via Diffusiophoresis in Single- and Double-Junction Microchannels. ACS NANO 2023; 17:14644-14657. [PMID: 37458750 PMCID: PMC10416570 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c02154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
We reveal a physical mechanism that enables the preconcentration, sorting, and characterization of charged polystyrene nanobeads and liposomes dispersed in a continuous flow within a straight micron-sized channel. Initially, a single Ψ-junction microfluidic chip is used to generate a steady-state salt concentration gradient in the direction perpendicular to the flow. As a result, fluorescent nanobeads dispersed in the electrolyte solutions accumulate into symmetric regions of the channel, appearing as two distinct symmetric stripes when the channel is observed from the top via epi-fluorescence microscopy. Depending on the electrolyte flow configuration and, thus, the direction of the salt concentration gradient field, the fluorescent stripes get closer to or apart from each other as the distance from the inlet increases. Our numerical and experimental analysis shows that although nanoparticle diffusiophoresis and hydrodynamic effects are involved in the accumulation process, diffusio-osmosis along the top and bottom channel walls plays a crucial role in the observed particles dynamics. In addition, we developed a proof-of-concept double Ψ-junction microfluidic device that exploits this accumulation mechanism for the size-based separation and size detection of nanobeads as well as for the measurement of zeta potential and charged lipid composition of liposomes under continuous flow settings. This device is also used to investigate the effect of fluid-like or gel-like states of the lipid membranes on the liposome diffusiophoretic response. The proposed strategy for solute-driven manipulation and characterization of colloids has great potential for microfluidic bioanalytical testing applications, including bioparticle preconcentration, sorting, sensing, and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adnan Chakra
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
- Department
of Chemistry, University College London, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
| | - Naval Singh
- Manchester
Centre for Nonlinear Dynamics, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL, United Kingdom
| | - Goran T. Vladisavljević
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - François Nadal
- Commissariat
à l’Énergie Atomique, BP2, 33114, Le Barp, France
| | - Cécile Cottin-Bizonne
- Institut
Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Claude Bernard
Lyon 1- CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex, 69622, France
| | - Christophe Pirat
- Institut
Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Claude Bernard
Lyon 1- CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex, 69622, France
| | - Guido Bolognesi
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, Loughborough, LE11 3TU, United Kingdom
- Department
of Chemistry, University College London, London, WC1H 0AJ, United Kingdom
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Singh N, Vladisavljević GT, Nadal F, Cottin-Bizonne C, Pirat C, Bolognesi G. Enhanced Accumulation of Colloidal Particles in Microgrooved Channels via Diffusiophoresis and Steady-State Electrolyte Flows. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2022; 38:14053-14062. [PMID: 36350104 PMCID: PMC9686125 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c01755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The delivery of colloidal particles in dead-end microstructures is very challenging, since these geometries do not allow net flows of particle-laden fluids; meanwhile, diffusive transport is slow and inefficient. Recently, we introduced a novel particle manipulation strategy, based on diffusiophoresis, whereby the salt concentration gradient between parallel electrolyte streams in a microgrooved channel induces the rapid (i.e., within minutes) and reversible accumulation, retention, and removal of colloidal particles in the microgrooves. In this study, we investigated the effects of salt contrast and groove depth on the accumulation process in silicon microgrooves and determined the experimental conditions that lead to a particle concentration peak of more than four times the concentration in the channel bulk. Also, we achieved an average particle concentration in the grooves of more than twice the concentration in the flowing streams and almost 2 orders of magnitude larger than the average concentration in the grooves in the absence of a salt concentration gradient. Analytical sufficient and necessary conditions for particle accumulation are also derived. Finally, we successfully tested the accumulation process in polydimethylsiloxane microgrooved channels, as they are less expensive to fabricate than silicon microgrooved substrates. The controlled and enhanced accumulation of colloidal particles in dead-end structures by solute concentration gradients has potential applications in soft matter and living systems, such as drug delivery, synthetic biology, and on-chip diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naval Singh
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, LoughboroughLE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Goran T. Vladisavljević
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, LoughboroughLE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - François Nadal
- Wolfson
School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering, Loughborough University, LoughboroughLE11 3TU, United Kingdom
| | - Cécile Cottin-Bizonne
- Institut
Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Claude Bernard
Lyon 1—CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex69622, France
| | - Christophe Pirat
- Institut
Lumière Matière, UMR5306 Université Claude Bernard
Lyon 1—CNRS, Université de Lyon, Villeurbanne Cedex69622, France
| | - Guido Bolognesi
- Department
of Chemical Engineering, Loughborough University, LoughboroughLE11 3TU, United Kingdom
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