Dynamic air/liquid pockets for guiding microscale flow

Hou, Xu; Li, Jianyu; Tesler, Alexander B.; Yao, Yuxing; Wang, Miao; Min, Lingli; Sheng, Zhizhi; Aizenberg, Joanna

doi:10.1038/s41467-018-03194-z

Title: Dynamic air/liquid pockets for guiding microscale flow

Journal Article · Wed Feb 21 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Nature Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-03194-z· OSTI ID:1526293

^[1]; Li, Jianyu ^[2]; Tesler, Alexander B. ^[3]; Yao, Yuxing ^[3]; Wang, Miao ^[1]; Min, Lingli ^[1]; Sheng, Zhizhi ^[1]; Aizenberg, Joanna ^[3]

Xiamen Univ. (China)
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States); McGill Univ., Montreal, QC (Canada)
Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)

Microscale flows of fluids are mainly guided either by solid matrices or by liquid–liquid interfaces. Yet, the solid matrices are plagued with persistent fouling problems, while liquid–liquid interfaces are limited to low-pressure applications. Here we report a dynamic liquid/solid/gas material containing both air and liquid pockets, which are formed by partially infiltrating a porous matrix with a functional liquid. Using detailed theoretical and experimental data, we show that the distribution of the air- and liquid-filled pores is responsive to pressure and enables the formation and instantaneous recovery of stable liquid–liquid interfaces that sustain a wide range of pressures and prevent channel contamination. This adaptive design is demonstrated for polymeric materials and extended to metal-based systems that can achieve unmatched mechanical and thermal stability. Our platform with its unique adaptive pressure and antifouling capabilities may offer potential solutions to flow control in microfluidics, medical devices, microscale synthesis, and biological assays.

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Research Organization:: Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC); National Natural Science Foundation

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0005247

OSTI ID:: 1526293

Journal Information:: Nature Communications, Vol. 9, Issue 1; ISSN 2041-1723

Publisher:: Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 50 works

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