Electrocoalescence of drops synchronized by size-dependent flow in microfluidic channels

作者：Keunho Ahn, Jeremy J. Agresti, Henry Chong, Manuel Márquez, David A. Weitz · 发表于：Applied Physics Letters · 年份：2006 · DOI：10.1063/1.2218058 · 被引用次数：295 · 研究领域：Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation、Electrowetting and Microfluidic Technologies、Electrohydrodynamics and Fluid Dynamics

The use of microfluidic devices to control drops of water in a carrier oil is a promising means of performing biological and chemical assays. An essential requirement for this is the controlled coalescence of pairs of drops to mix reagents together. We show that this can be accomplished through electrocoalescence of drops synchronized by size-dependent flow in microfluidic channels. Smaller drops move faster due to the Poiseuille flow, allowing pairs of surfactant-stabilized drops to be brought into contact where they are coalesced with an electric field. We apply this method to an enzyme assay to measure enzyme kinetic constants.