Microfluidic droplet generation in microfluidics uses two immiscible fluids, often oil and aqueous solutions, forming stable droplets1. This requires a continuous phase, fluid around droplet, and a dispersed phase, the microdroplet. More about droplet formation can be read here. Controlling the flow dynamics and microfluidic geometry can dramatically affect the droplet size. Additionally, changing the fluid properties and surfactants can stable droplets after formation2.
The project focused on re-creating the interfacial gel assembly from small molecule supramolecular polymers3. The research focused on re-creating the microfluidic chip using 3D printing stereolithography (SLA) technology (Formlabs Form 2)4. More about 3D printing microfluidic moulds can be read here.
This was a successful master’s project in 2019 carried out by Jack Marsh where I was the main supervisor of the microfluidics and droplet formation with Dr. Aniello Palma and Dr. Robert Barker as co-principal investigators at the University of Kent.
References
- Zhu, P., & Wang, L. (2017). Passive and active droplet generation with microfluidics: a review. Lab on a Chip, 17(1), 34–75. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6LC01018K
- Eggersdorfer, M. L., Seybold, H., Ofner, A., Weitz, D. A., & Studart, A. R. (2018). Wetting controls of droplet formation in step emulsification. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(38), 9479–9484. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1803644115
- Groombridge, A. S., Palma, A., Parker, R. M., Abell, C., & Scherman, O. A. (2017). Aqueous interfacial gels assembled from small molecule supramolecular polymers. Chemical Science, 8(2), 1350–1355. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6SC04103E
- Formlabs (2021) Form 2. [Accessed 08/10/21] https://formlabs.com/3d-printers/form-2/
