Issue 23, 2011

Simple and cheap microfluidic devices for the preparation of monodisperse emulsions

Abstract

Droplet microfluidics, which can generate monodisperse droplets or bubbles in unlimited numbers, at high speed and with complex structures, have been extensively investigated in chemical and biological fields. However, most current methods for fabricating microfluidic devices, such as glass etching, soft lithography in polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) or assembly of glass capillaries, are usually either expensive or complicated. Here we report the fabrication of simple and cheap microfluidic devices based on patterned coverslips and microscope glass slides. The advantages of our approach for fabricating microfluidic devices lie in a simple process, inexpensive processing equipment and economical laboratory supplies. The fabricated microfluidic devices feature a flexible design of microchannels, easy spatial patterning of surface wettability, and good chemical compatibility and optical properties. We demonstrate their utilities for generation of monodisperse single and double emulsions with highly controllable flexibility.

Graphical abstract: Simple and cheap microfluidic devices for the preparation of monodisperse emulsions

Supplementary files

Additions and corrections

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Jul 2011
Accepted
20 Sep 2011
First published
25 Oct 2011

Lab Chip, 2011,11, 3963-3969

Simple and cheap microfluidic devices for the preparation of monodisperse emulsions

N. Deng, Z. Meng, R. Xie, X. Ju, C. Mou, W. Wang and L. Chu, Lab Chip, 2011, 11, 3963 DOI: 10.1039/C1LC20629J

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