Issue 9, 2011

Microfluidic production of monodisperse functional o/w droplets and study of their reversible pH dependent aggregation behavior

Abstract

We report the use of microfluidics for the production of monodisperse oil-in-water droplets functionalized by a pH responsive branched co-polymer surfactant. The droplet functionality facilitates the reversible aggregation of the micron-sized droplets into macroscopic engineered emulsions in response to solution pH changes. Co-injection of dye-loaded and non-dyed droplets into acidic water yields bi-colored dumbbell-shaped aggregates that disassemble into their constituent droplet building blocks upon an increase in pH. Optical tweezers are used to study and quantify the pH dependent interactions of individual droplets.

Graphical abstract: Microfluidic production of monodisperse functional o/w droplets and study of their reversible pH dependent aggregation behavior

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
18 Jan 2011
Accepted
16 Feb 2011
First published
10 Mar 2011

Soft Matter, 2011,7, 4214-4220

Microfluidic production of monodisperse functional o/w droplets and study of their reversible pH dependent aggregation behavior

W. C. Bauer, J. Kotar, P. Cicuta, R. T. Woodward, J. V. M. Weaver and W. T. S. Huck, Soft Matter, 2011, 7, 4214 DOI: 10.1039/C1SM05087G

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