title: Droplet Merging on a Lab-on-a-Chip Platform by Uniform Magnetic Fields.
abstract: Droplet microfluidics offers a range of Lab-on-a-chip (LoC) applications. However, wireless and programmable manipulation of such droplets is a challenge. We address this challenge by experimental and modelling studies of uniform magnetic field induced merging of ferrofluid based droplets. Control of droplet velocity and merging was achieved through uniform magnetic field and flow rate ratio. Conditions for droplet merging with respect to droplet velocity were studied. Merging and mixing of colour dye + magnetite composite droplets was demonstrated. Our experimental and numerical results are in good agreement. These studies are useful for wireless and programmable droplet merging as well as mixing relevant to biosensing, bioassay, microfluidic-based synthesis, reaction kinetics, and magnetochemistry.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: V B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Varma
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology, 71 Nanyang Dr, 638075, Singapore.
authors.forename: Z P
authors.initials: ZP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 639798, Singapore.
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Ramanujan