Microfluidic large-scale integration on a chip for mass production of monodisperse droplets and particles.
In this study, we report the mass production of monodisperse emulsion droplets and particles using microfluidic large-scale integration on a chip. The production module comprises a glass microfluidic chip with planar microfabricated 16-256 droplet-formation units (DFUs) and a palm-sized stainless steel holder having several layers for supplying liquids into the inlets of the mounted chip. By using a module having 128 cross-junctions (i.e., 256 DFUs) arranged circularly on a 4 cm x 4 cm chip, we could produce droplets of photopolymerizable acrylate monomer at a throughput of 320.0 mL h(-1). The product was monodisperse, having a mean diameter of 96.4 microm, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of 1.3%. Subsequent UV polymerization off the module yielded monodisperse acrylic microspheres at a throughput of approximately 0.3 kg h(-1). Another module having 128 co-flow geometries could produce biphasic Janus droplets of black and white segments at 128.0 mL h(-1). The product had a mean diameter of 142.3 microm, with a CV of 3.3%. This co-flow module could also be applied in the mass production of homogeneous monomer droplets.
Nisisako
Takasi
T
Precision and Intelligence Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, R2-6, 4259 Nagatsuta-cho, Midori-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 226-8503, Japan. nisisako@pi.titech.ac.jp
Torii
T
T
D004655:Emulsions / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D004867:Equipment Design; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D008863:Microspheres; D010316:Particle Size
D004655:Emulsions