All-aqueous multiphase microfluidics

Immiscible aqueous phases, formed by dissolving incompatible solutes in water, have been used in green chemical synthesis, molecular extraction and mimicking of cellular cytoplasm. Recently, a microfluidic approach has been introduced to generate all-aqueous emulsions and jets based on these immisci...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biomicrofluidics 2013-11, Vol.7 (6), p.61301-61301
Main Authors: Song, Yang, Sauret, Alban, Cheung Shum, Ho
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biocompatibility
Biomedical engineering
Biomedical materials
Chemical synthesis
Cytoplasm
Emulsions
Interfacial properties
Materials engineering
Microfluidics
Miscibility
Multiphase
Organic chemistry
Phases
Surface tension
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Summary:Immiscible aqueous phases, formed by dissolving incompatible solutes in water, have been used in green chemical synthesis, molecular extraction and mimicking of cellular cytoplasm. Recently, a microfluidic approach has been introduced to generate all-aqueous emulsions and jets based on these immiscible aqueous phases; due to their biocompatibility, these all-aqueous structures have shown great promises as templates for fabricating biomaterials. The physico-chemical nature of interfaces between two immiscible aqueous phases leads to unique interfacial properties, such as an ultra-low interfacial tension. Strategies to manipulate components and direct their assembly at these interfaces needs to be explored. In this paper, we review progress on the topic over the past few years, with a focus on the fabrication and stabilization of all-aqueous structures in a multiphase microfluidic platform. We also discuss future efforts needed from the perspectives of fluidic physics, materials engineering, and biology for fulfilling potential applications ranging from materials fabrication to biomedical engineering.
ISSN:1932-1058
1932-1058
DOI:10.1063/1.4827916