Droplet actuation in an electrified microfluidic network

Abstract

This work demonstrates that liquid droplet emulsions in a microchannel can be deformed, decelerated and/or pinned by applying a suitable electrical potential. By concentrating a potential gradient at the corners, we show that different droplets can be passively binned by size and on demand in a branched microfluidic device. The deformation, deceleration, squeezing and release of droplets in a three-dimensional numerical simulation are qualitatively verified by experiments in a PDMS microfluidic device. The forces required for pinning or binning a droplet provide a delicate balance between hydrodynamics and the electric field, and are obtained using appropriate non-dimensional parameters.