Issue 28, 2014

Self-organizing microfluidic crystals

Abstract

We consider how to design a microfluidic system in which suspended particles spontaneously order into flowing crystals when driven by external pressure. Via theory and numerics, we find that particle–particle hydrodynamic interactions drive self-organization under suitable conditions of particle morphology and geometric confinement. Small clusters of asymmetric “tadpole” particles, strongly confined in one direction and weakly confined in another, spontaneously order in a direction perpendicular to the external flow, forming one dimensional lattices. Large suspensions of tadpoles exhibit strong density heterogeneities and form aggregates. By rationally tailoring particle shape, we tame this aggregation and achieve formation of large two-dimensional crystals.

Graphical abstract: Self-organizing microfluidic crystals

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
26 Mrz 2014
Accepted
01 Mai 2014
First published
08 Mai 2014

Soft Matter, 2014,10, 5177-5191

Self-organizing microfluidic crystals

W. E. Uspal and P. S. Doyle, Soft Matter, 2014, 10, 5177 DOI: 10.1039/C4SM00664J

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