Moving droplets between closed and open microfluidic systems

Abstract

In electric-field-mediated droplet microfluidics, there are two distinct architectures – closed systems using parallel-plate electrodes and open systems using coplanar electrodes fabricated on an open substrate. An architecture combining both closed and open systems on a chip would facilitate many of the chemical and biological processes now envisioned for the laboratory on a chip. To accomplish such an integration requires a means to move droplets back and forth between the two. This paper presents an investigation of the requirements for such manipulation of both water and oil droplets. The required wetting conditions for a droplet to cross the open/closed boundary is revealed by a force balance analysis and predictions of this model are compared to experimental results. Water droplets can be moved between closed and open systems by electrowetting actuation; droplet detachment from the upper plate is facilitated by the use of beveled edge. The force model predicts that driving an oil droplet from a closed to an open structure requires an oleophobic surface. This prediction has been tested and confirmed using <100> silicon wafers made oleophobic by re-entrant microstructures etched into the surface.