Massive Electro‐Microfluidic Particle Assembly Patterns in Droplet Array for Information Encoding

作者：Haoqiang Feng, Shitao Shen, Mingliang Jin, Mengjie Xiao, Mengjun Liu, Qilin Zhang, Hongwei Jiang, Zichuan Yi, Wenshuai Wu, Guofu Zhou, Lingling Shui · 发表于：Small · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1002/smll.202405161 · 被引用次数：6 · 研究领域：Electrowetting and Microfluidic Technologies、Innovative Microfluidic and Catalytic Techniques Innovation、Pickering emulsions and particle stabilization

The assembly of colloidal particles into micro-patterns is essential in optics, informatics, and microelectronics. However, it is still a challenge to achieve quick, reversible, and precise assembly patterns within micro-scale spaces like droplets. Hereby, a method is presented that utilizes in-plane dielectrophoresis to precisely manipulate particle assemblies within microscale droplets. The electro-microfluidic particle assembly platform, equipped with ingenious electrode designs, enables the formation of diverse micro-patterns within a droplet array. The tunability, similarity, stability, and reversibility of this platform are demonstrated. The ability to assemble letters, numbers, and Morse code patterns within the droplet array underscores its potential for information encoding. Furthermore, using an example with four addressing electrodes beneath a droplet, 16 distinct pieces of information through electrical stimuli is successfully encoded. This unique capability facilitates the construction of a dynamic electronic token, indicating promising applications in anti-counterfeiting technologies.