title: Microfluidic fabrication of shape-tunable alginate microgels: effect of size and impact velocity.
abstract: We report on a capillary-based microfluidic platform for the fabrication of non-spherical sodium alginate microgels. The sodium alginate droplets were crosslinked off-chip in a mixture of barium acetate and glycerol solution. Novel morphologies such as tear drop, lamp-like, mushroom-like, double-dimpled and bowl-like microgels were fabricated by controlling the size, impact velocity (at the crosslinking solution/oil interface), and concentration of sodium alginate solution. We monitored the microscale deformation process in situ at the interface and proposeed a deformation mechanism resulting in unique morphologies. Additionally, we constructed microgel superstructures by assembling the non-spherical alginate microgels to spherical poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (pNIPAAm) microgels via electrostatic interaction.
authors: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States.
authors: Yuandu
authors: Y
authors: Hu
authors: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States.
authors: Glareh
authors: G
authors: Azadi
authors: Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN 46556, United States; School of Mechanical Engineering, Purdue University, 585 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, United States. Electronic address: ardekani@purdue.edu.
authors: Arezoo M
authors: AM
authors: Ardekani
keywords: Microfluidics; Microgel superstructures; Non-spherical alginate microgels