title: Chemically induced coalescence in droplet-based microfluidics.
abstract: We present a new microfluidic method to coalesce pairs of surfactant-stabilized water-in-fluorocarbon oil droplets. We achieve this through the local addition of a poor solvent for the surfactant, perfluorobutanol, which induces cohesion between droplet interfaces causing them to merge. The efficiency of this technique is comparable to existing techniques providing an alternative method to coalesce pairs of droplets.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, 29 Oxford Street, Cambridge, USA. weitz@seas.harvard.edu.
authors.forename: Ilke
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Akartuna
authors.forename: Donald M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Aubrecht
authors.forename: Thomas E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Kodger
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Weitz
mesh_terms: D005466:Fluorocarbons / Q000737:chemistry*; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000379:methods*; D009821:Oils / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties; D013501:Surface-Active Agents / Q000737:chemistry*; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D005466:Fluorocarbons; D009821:Oils; D013501:Surface-Active Agents; D014867:Water