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Digital Microfluidics

The document discusses digital microfluidics, which involves manipulating tiny droplets of liquid on a micro or nano scale using electrical fields. It defines digital microfluidics, explains the working principle involving electrowetting and contact angle manipulation, and discusses various applications in fields like clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, chemical synthesis, and more.

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26 views6 pages

Digital Microfluidics

The document discusses digital microfluidics, which involves manipulating tiny droplets of liquid on a micro or nano scale using electrical fields. It defines digital microfluidics, explains the working principle involving electrowetting and contact angle manipulation, and discusses various applications in fields like clinical diagnostics, drug discovery, chemical synthesis, and more.

Uploaded by

sasi636974
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CH5004- Frontiers of Chemical Engineering

Assignment 1
Digital Microfluidics

E Sakthi Aravind-2020303027
Sasikumar R-2020303029

Definition:

Digital microfluidics(DMF) is a technology that involves manipulating tiny droplets


of liquid on a micro scale or a nano scale using electrical fields.The substrate is
usually coated with a hydrophobic insulator, and the manipulation is achieved by
applying electric potentials to the substrate.The fundamental principle of operation
involves the movement and manipulation of discrete droplets of liquid typically on a
substrate using electrodes.Droplets are dispersed and mixed on a platform with a set
of insulated electrodes.

One of the key advantages of digital microfluidics is its ability to perform a wide
range of liquid handling operations, including mixing, dispensing, splitting, and
transporting, with high precision and flexibility. This versatility makes it a promising
technology for various applications.

In the field of chemical analysis and research, digital microfluidics can assist in higher
efficiency screening, chemical synthesis, and reaction optimization. By automating
these processes on a miniature scale, researchers can save time and resources while
increasing the efficiency and accuracy of their experiments.

DMF systems are typically controlled through software, allowing for automated and
precise control of droplet movements. Algorithms and programming define the
sequence and conditions for droplet manipulation.
Working principle:

The key concept that is involved in the formation of droplets is surface tension of the
liquid. The nature of droplet is determined by the effect of cohesive and adhesive
forces. For liquids with higher cohesive forces, the shape of droplet is very similar to
that of a sphere. In such cases, the angle of contact between the fluid and surface is
less than 90° . Liquids such as mercury have this tendency. Similarly, liquids such as
water have higher adhesive forces which causes the droplet to be more flattened out.
The angle of contact for water is greater than 90° .

The base of digital microfluidics is a substrate typically made of glass or silicon,


coated with a hydrophobic insulating layer like teflon or a polymer. This coating
creates an array of discrete hydrophilic spots, forming a grid or pattern where droplets
can be manipulated.

The electrowetting effect is used to bring about changes to the contact angle. When a
voltage is applied to the hydrophobic surface, the contact angle between the droplet
and the surface changes due to the change in surface energy. Applying a voltage
reduces the contact angle, making the droplet spread out and become more
hydrophilic.

By controlling the voltage applied to specific hydrophilic spots , the contact angle of
the droplets can be adjusted, allowing for precise movement and manipulation of
individual droplets. When a droplet is adjacent to an activated electrode, the droplet
will move towards the electrode due to the change in contact angle, effectively
manipulating its position.

Droplets can be dispensed from a reservoir and placed at specific locations on the grid
through precise voltage control. Multiple droplets can be merged by bringing them
close to each other and adjusting the voltage appropriately to reduce the contact angle
and facilitate merging.
The droplets can be split by moving them towards designated split points and
adjusting the voltage to increase the contact angle. Mixing of different reagents or
fluids can be achieved by merging droplets containing the desired substances.

By sequentially activating electrodes in a predetermined pattern, droplets can be


transported along defined paths. This allows for sequential reactions or processes to
occur within the droplets as they move from one location to another.

Integrated sensors or other analytical tools can be used to monitor the droplets and
perform various analyses. This includes measuring properties like droplet volume,
chemical composition, or any reactions that may occur within the droplets.

Images:
Application of Digital Microfluidics:

1. Clinical Diagnostics :
- Point-of-Care Testing : Digital microfluidics can be used for on-site diagnostic
tests, making it possible to run various tests, such as blood typing, glucose
monitoring, and infectious disease detection, without the need for a full laboratory.

2. Drug Discovery and Development :


- High-Throughput Screening : Digital microfluidics can automate the testing of
thousands of drug compounds, making it more efficient and cost-effective.
- Assay Development : It is used to develop and optimize assays for drug testing
and toxicity assessments.

3. Sample Preparation :
- DNA Extraction and Purification : It can be used to extract and purify DNA or
RNA samples for genetic analysis.
- Protein Isolation : For proteomic analysis and protein purification.

4. Chemical Synthesis :
- Reaction Optimization : Digital microfluidics allows precise control over reaction
conditions, which is critical in chemical synthesis.
- Combinatorial Chemistry : It's used to generate a wide range of chemical
compounds for drug development.

5. Cell Culture and Analysis :


- Cell Sorting : It can sort and manipulate individual cells for research or
diagnostics.
- Cell-Based Assays : For studying cell behavior and responses to various stimuli.

6. Environmental Monitoring :
- Water Quality Analysis : It can be used to analyze water samples for pollutants,
pathogens, and other contaminants.
- Air Quality Monitoring : For collecting and analyzing air samples to detect
pollutants.

7. Food and Beverage Industry :


- Quality Control : Digital microfluidics can be employed to test food and
beverages for contaminants, pathogens, and quality attributes.
- Flavor and Fragrance Analysis : In the development of flavors and fragrances.

8. Drug Delivery :
- Microencapsulation : It can be used to encapsulate drugs in microscale droplets
for controlled drug release.

9. Liquid Handling Automation :


- Laboratory Automation : Digital microfluidics can automate various laboratory
tasks, including pipetting and sample preparation.
- High-Precision Dispensing : For dispensing tiny volumes of reagents and samples
in research and clinical labs.

10. Microreactors :
- Chemical Reactions : Digital microfluidics can be used to create microreactors
for small-scale chemical reactions, which is especially valuable in drug synthesis and
testing.
11. Biotechnology and Genomics :
- Sequencing : It can be used for DNA sequencing and genotyping applications.

12. Wearable and Implantable Devices :


- Lab-on-a-Chip Devices : Digital microfluidics can be incorporated into portable,
wearable, or implantable devices for continuous monitoring and diagnostics.

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_microfluidics

Yun Hui, Zhiting Peng, Md Eshrat E. Alahi, Boshi Jiang, Tianzhun Wu,
10 - Significance of digital microfluidic techniques in biomedical devices for
healthcare

https://www.elveflow.com/microfluidic-reviews/general-microfluidics/microfluidics-
applications-a-short-review/

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