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Huang B, Ge X, Rubinstein BY, Chen X, Wang L, Xie H, Leshansky AM, Li Z. Gas-assisted microfluidic step-emulsification for generating micron- and submicron-sized droplets. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:86. [PMID: 37435566 PMCID: PMC10330193 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00558-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Micron- and submicron-sized droplets have extensive applications in biomedical diagnosis and drug delivery. Moreover, accurate high-throughput analysis requires a uniform droplet size distribution and high production rates. Although the previously reported microfluidic coflow step-emulsification method can be used to generate highly monodispersed droplets, the droplet diameter (d) is constrained by the microchannel height (b), d ≳ 3 b , while the production rate is limited by the maximum capillary number of the step-emulsification regime, impeding emulsification of highly viscous liquids. In this paper, we report a novel, gas-assisted coflow step-emulsification method, where air serves as the innermost phase of a precursor hollow-core air/oil/water emulsion. Air gradually diffuses out, producing oil droplets. The size of the hollow-core droplets and the ultrathin oil layer thickness both follow the scaling laws of triphasic step-emulsification. The minimal droplet size attains d ≈ 1.7 b , inaccessible in standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification. The production rate per single channel is an order-of-magnitude higher than that in the standard all-liquid biphasic step-emulsification and is also superior to alternative emulsification methods. Due to low gas viscosity, the method can also be used to generate micron- and submicron-sized droplets of high-viscosity fluids, while the inert nature of the auxiliary gas offers high versatility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Biao Huang
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian District, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Xinjin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Engines, Tianjin University, No. 92 Weijin Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, 300350 China
| | | | - Xianchun Chen
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian District, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Lu Wang
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian District, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Huiying Xie
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian District, Beijing, 100081 China
| | - Alexander M. Leshansky
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000 Israel
| | - Zhenzhen Li
- Department of Aerospace Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, No. 5 ZhongGuanCunNan Street, HaiDian District, Beijing, 100081 China
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Huang B, Xie H, Li Z. Microfluidic Methods for Generation of Submicron Droplets: A Review. MICROMACHINES 2023; 14:638. [PMID: 36985045 PMCID: PMC10056697 DOI: 10.3390/mi14030638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Submicron droplets are ubiquitous in nature and widely applied in fields such as biomedical diagnosis and therapy, oil recovery and energy conversion, among others. The submicron droplets are kinetically stable, their submicron size endows them with good mobility in highly constricted pathways, and the high surface-to-volume ratio allows effective loading of chemical components at the interface and good heat transfer performance. Conventional generation technology of submicron droplets in bulk involves high energy input, or relies on chemical energy released from the system. Microfluidic methods are widely used to generate highly monodispersed micron-sized or bigger droplets, while downsizing to the order of 100 nm was thought to be challenging because of sophisticated nanofabrication. In this review, we summarize the microfluidic methods that are promising for the generation of submicron droplets, with an emphasize on the device fabrication, operational condition, and resultant droplet size. Microfluidics offer a relatively energy-efficient and versatile tool for the generation of highly monodisperse submicron droplets.
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Concellón A, Zentner CA, Swager TM. Dynamic Complex Liquid Crystal Emulsions. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:18246-18255. [DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b09216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Concellón
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Cassandra A. Zentner
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Timothy M. Swager
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
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Zhang L, Parison A, He Y. Co-flowing of partially miscible liquids for the generation of monodisperse microparticles. ADV POWDER TECHNOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.apt.2017.08.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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Xu X, Song R, He M, Peng C, Yu M, Hou Y, Qiu H, Zou R, Yao S. Microfluidic production of nanoscale perfluorocarbon droplets as liquid contrast agents for ultrasound imaging. LAB ON A CHIP 2017; 17:3504-3513. [PMID: 28933795 DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00056a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Liquid perfluorocarbon (PFC) nanodroplets may have a better chance to extravasate through inter-endothelial gaps (400-800 nm) into tumor interstitium for extravascular imaging, which holds promise as an innovative strategy for imaging-guided drug delivery, early diagnosis of cancer and minimally invasive treatment of cancer. Currently available emulsion technologies still face challenges in reducing droplet sizes from the microscale to the nanoscale. To control size and ensure monodispersity of PFC nanodroplets, we developed a flame-shaped glass capillary and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) hybrid device that creates a concentric flow of the dispersed phase enclosed by the focusing continuous phase at the cross-junction. Through adjustment of the pressure applied, a stable tip-streaming mode can be obtained for PFC nanodroplet generation. Using this device, we synthesized various kinds of PFC nanodroplets as small as 200 nm in diameter with polydispersity index (PDI) <0.04. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were carried out for the characterization of the PFC nanodroplets. Finally, ultrasound imaging was conducted to demonstrate that the liquid PFC nanodroplets can be used for enhancing the ultrasound contrast upon vaporization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Xu
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong, China.
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Zhang Q, Xu M, Liu X, Zhao W, Zong C, Yu Y, Wang Q, Gai H. Fabrication of Janus droplets by evaporation driven liquid-liquid phase separation. Chem Commun (Camb) 2016; 52:5015-8. [PMID: 26983706 DOI: 10.1039/c6cc00249h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
We present a universal and scalable method to fabricate Janus droplets based on evaporation driven liquid-liquid phase separation. In this work, the morphologies and chemical properties of separate parts of the Janus droplets can be flexibly regulated, and more complex Janus droplets (such as core-shell Janus droplets, ternary Janus droplets, and multiple Janus droplets) can be constructed easily.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingquan Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Green Synthesis for Functional Materials, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221116, P. R. China.
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Sun XT, Yang CG, Xu ZR. Controlled production of size-tunable Janus droplets for submicron particle synthesis using an electrospray microfluidic chip. RSC Adv 2016. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra24531a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Controllable fabrication of Janus droplets and submicron Janus particles using an electrospray microfluidic approach has been developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Ting Sun
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences
- Northeastern University
- Shenyang
- P. R. China
| | - Chun-Guang Yang
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences
- Northeastern University
- Shenyang
- P. R. China
| | - Zhang-Run Xu
- Research Center for Analytical Sciences
- Northeastern University
- Shenyang
- P. R. China
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Verboket PE, Borovinskaya O, Meyer N, Günther D, Dittrich PS. A microfluidic chip for ICPMS sample introduction. J Vis Exp 2015:52525. [PMID: 25867751 PMCID: PMC4401232 DOI: 10.3791/52525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This protocol discusses the fabrication and usage of a disposable low cost microfluidic chip as sample introduction system for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS). The chip produces monodisperse aqueous sample droplets in perfluorohexane (PFH). Size and frequency of the aqueous droplets can be varied in the range of 40 to 60 µm and from 90 to 7,000 Hz, respectively. The droplets are ejected from the chip with a second flow of PFH and remain intact during the ejection. A custom-built desolvation system removes the PFH and transports the droplets into the ICPMS. Here, very stable signals with a narrow intensity distribution can be measured, showing the monodispersity of the droplets. We show that the introduction system can be used to quantitatively determine iron in single bovine red blood cells. In the future, the capabilities of the introduction device can easily be extended by the integration of additional microfluidic modules.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nicole Meyer
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich
| | - Detlef Günther
- Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich;
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Li YK, Liu GT, Xu JH, Wang K, Luo GS. A microdevice for producing monodispersed droplets under a jetting flow. RSC Adv 2015. [DOI: 10.1039/c5ra02397a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A new capillary extended step microchannel for generating monodispersed droplets with a much wider narrowing jetting flow regime was specially designed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Y. K. Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing
- China
| | - G. T. Liu
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing
- China
| | - J. H. Xu
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing
- China
| | - K. Wang
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing
- China
| | - G. S. Luo
- The State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering
- Department of Chemical Engineering
- Tsinghua University
- Beijing
- China
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Verboket PE, Borovinskaya O, Meyer N, Günther D, Dittrich PS. A new microfluidics-based droplet dispenser for ICPMS. Anal Chem 2014; 86:6012-8. [PMID: 24805360 PMCID: PMC4063494 DOI: 10.1021/ac501149a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
![]()
In
this work, a novel droplet microfluidic sample introduction
system for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) is
proposed and characterized. The cheap and disposable microfluidic
chip generates droplets of an aqueous sample in a stream of perfluorohexane
(PFH), which is also used to eject them as a liquid jet. The aqueous
droplets remain intact during the ejection and can be transported
into the ICP with >50% efficiency. The transport is realized via
a
custom-built system, which includes a membrane desolvator necessary
for the PFH vapor removal. The introduction system presented here
can generate highly monodisperse droplets in the size range of 40–60
μm at frequencies from 90 to 300 Hz. These droplets produced
very stable signals with a relative standard deviation (RSD) comparable
to the one achieved with a commercial droplet dispenser. Using the
current system, samples with a total volume of <1 μL can
be analyzed. Moreover, the capabilities of the setup for introduction
and quantitative elemental analysis of single cells were described
using a test system of bovine red blood cells. In the future, other
modules of the modern microfludics can be integrated in the chip,
such as on-chip sample pretreatment or parallel introduction of different
samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal E Verboket
- Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, and ‡Laboratory of Inorganic Chemistry, Department of Chemistry and Applied Biosciences, ETH Zurich , 8093 Zurich Switzerland
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