Micro-fluidic actuation using magnetic artificial cilia.
We demonstrate advanced fluid manipulations using magnetic polymeric artificial cilia on the walls of a microfluidic channel. In nature, cilia are little hairs covering the surface of micro-organisms which enable them to manipulate a fluid on the micro-scale. The asymmetric movement of natural cilia is crucial to obtain a net fluid flow. We have developed a ferromagnetic polymer made from iron nanoparticles and polydimethylsiloxane, and describe a process that can structure the material into high aspect ratio lying artificial cilia with a length of 300 microm. These artificial cilia were actuated with a homogeneous rotating magnetic field (micro(0)H < 50 mT) generated with a compact external electromagnet. An asymmetric movement involving torsion could be created when the cilia were provided with a remanent magnetisation perpendicular to the plane of rotation of the magnetic field vector. The artificial cilia could be actuated in fluid up to a frequency of approximately 50 Hz. In an aqueous solution in a microfluidic chamber we were able to generate rotational as well as translational fluid movements with fluid velocities up to approximately 0.5 mm s(-1).
Fahrni
Francis
F
Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600, MB, Eindhoven, The Netherlands. f.fahrni@tue.nl
Prins
Menno W J
MW
van Ijzendoorn
Leo J
LJ
D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000737:chemistry; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D004867:Equipment Design; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*; D008280:Magnetics; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009038:Motion; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry
D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C001215:ferrite; C013830:baysilon