基礎講座 電気泳動(Electrophoresis)

Micro and nanoparticle adsorption to and assembly by capillarity at fluid–fluid interfaces are intriguing aspects of soft matter science with broad potential in the directed assembly of anisotropic media. The importance of the field stems from the ubiquitous presence of multiphase systems, the malleability of fluid interfaces, and the ability to tune the interactions of the particles adsorbed on them. While homogeneous spherical particles at interfaces have been well studied, the behavior of anisotropic particles – whether the anisotropy originates from shape or chemical heterogeneity – has been considered only very recently. We review recent advances in the field of anisotropic particles at fluid interfaces, by focusing on particles in the micron and submicron range. We discuss capillary adsorption, orientation, migration, and self-assembly, on planar and curved interfaces, and the rheology of particle-laden interfaces. Prospects for future work and outstanding challenges are also discussed.

Capillary interactions between anisotropic particles

This paper provides an overview of the electrokinetic phenomena associated with particles and cells in microchannel systems. The most important phenomena covered include electrophoresis, dielectrophoresis, and induced-charge electrokinetics. The latest development of these electrokinetic techniques for particle or cell manipulations in microfluidic systems is reviewed, in terms of the basic theories, mathematical models, numerical and experimental methods, and the key results/findings from the published literatures in the most recent decades. Some of the limitations associated with the negative field effects are discussed and the perspectives for the future investigations are summarized.

Electrokinetic motion of particles and cells in microchannels

The recent surge to explore and exploit the effect of particle shape has led to several interesting and unique observations in various diverse fields, ranging from biology to material science. To this end, the development of novel synthesis methods has contributed immensely, and has directed this exciting research on the role of particle shape in colloidal systems and other diverse fields. Furthermore, such investigations have resulted in the development of advanced materials, which are novel and multi-functional. In this article, we review recent advances in the study of suspensions containing shape anisotropic particles. In particular, we investigate those pertaining to rod-like or ellipsoidal particles and highlight recent results in three areas – evaporation driven assembly, packing, interfacial behavior and the use of these particles in emulsion stabilization.

Shape anisotropic colloids: synthesis, packing behavior, evaporation driven assembly, and their application in emulsion stabilization

In microfluidic devices the fluid can be manipulated either as continuous streams or droplets. The latter is particularly attractive as individual droplets can not only move but also split and fuse, thus offering great flexibility for applications such as laboratory-on-a-chip. We consider the transport of liquid drops immersed in a surrounding liquid by means of the dielectrophoretic force generated by electrodes mounted at the bottom of a microdevice. The direct numerical simulation (DNS) approach is used to study the motion of droplets subjected to both hydrodynamic and electrostatic forces. Our technique is based on a finite element scheme using the fundamental equations of motion for both the droplets and surrounding fluid. The interface is tracked by the level set method and the electrostatic forces are computed using the Maxwell stress tensor. The DNS results show that the droplets move, and deform, under the action of nonuniform electric stresses on their surfaces. The deformation increases as the drop moves closer to the electrodes. The extent to which the isolated drops deform depends on the electric Weber number. When the electric Weber number is small, the drops remain spherical; otherwise, the drops stretch. Two droplets, however, that are sufficiently close to each other, can deform and coalesce, even if the electric Weber number is small. This phenomenon does not rely on the magnitude of the electric stresses generated by the bulk electric field, but instead is due to the attractive electrostatic drop-drop interaction overcoming the surface tension force. Experimental results are also presented and found to be in agreement with the DNS results.

Transport and deformation of droplets in a microdevice using dielectrophoresis.

Particle lithography which explores the capability of particles to self-assemble offers an attractive means to manufacture nanostructured materials. Although traditional techniques typically lead to the formation of dense crystals, adjustable non-close-packed crystals are crucial in a number of applications. We have recently proposed a novel method to assemble spherical micro- and nanoparticles into monolayers. The technique consists of trapping particles at a liquid-fluid interface and applying an electric field normal to the interface. Particles rearrange themselves under the influence of interfacial and electrostatic forces to form 2-D hexagonal arrays of long-range order and whose lattice constant depends on the electric field strength and frequency. Furthermore, the existence of an electric field-induced capillary force makes the technique applicable to submicron and nanosized particles. Although spherical particles are often used, non-spherical particles can be beneficial in practice. Here, we review the method, discuss its applicability to particles of various shapes, and present results for particles self-assembly on air-liquid and liquid-liquid interfaces. In the case of non-spherical particles, the self-assembly process, while still taking place, is more complex as particles experience a torque which causes them to rotate relative to one another. This leads to a final arrangement displaying either a dominant orientation or no well-defined orientation. We also discuss the possibility of dislodging the particles from the interface by applying a strong electric field such that the Weber number is of order 1 or larger, a phenomenon which can be utilized to clean particles from liquid-fluid surfaces.

Electric field‐induced self‐assembly of micro‐ and nanoparticles of various shapes at two‐fluid interfaces

While travelling wave dielectrophoresis (twDEP) offers a promising method for the control of micro-sized particles suspended in liquids, particularly when the motion of particles along the length of the channel is sought without having to pump the liquid itself, it leads to a variety of complex dynamical regimes which need to be clearly understood for the design of efficient microfluidic devices targeting particular functions. In this paper, we describe the various dynamical regimes in terms of the forces acting on the particles, i.e. the conventional dielectrophoretic and twDEP force and torque, the viscous drag exerted by the fluid on the particle and the electrostatic and hydrodynamic particle–particle interactions. We also explore the variation of the dynamical regimes in three different configurations typical of microfluidic channels whose electrodes are embedded in the bottom wall. The first two configurations have different, i.e. aligned and staggered, electrode geometries, and the third configuration consists of aligned electrodes but energized at different potentials. For these purposes, we use our direct numerical simulation code based on the distributed Lagrange multiplier method for solving the equations of motion for both the fluid and the individual particles, and the point dipole model to compute the electrostatic forces. The model particles are chosen so as to have mechanical and electrical properties of yeast cells suspended in an aqueous solution. It is found that the motion of the particles not only depends significantly on the Clausius–Mossotti factor, which is a function of the electric properties of the fluid and the particles, but also on the specific configuration considered. Particularly, the spinning of particles plays a crucial role in the particle translations and interactions, but the direction of such spinning motion depends on the particular device configuration used.

Electrohydrodynamics of yeast cells in microchannels subjected to travelling electric fields

We present a technique that uses an externally applied electric field to self-assemble monolayers of mixtures of particles into molecular-like hierarchical arrangements on fluid-liquid interfaces. The arrangements consist of composite particles (analogous to molecules) which are arranged in a pattern. The structure of a composite particle depends on factors such as the relative sizes of the particles and their polarizabilities, and the electric field intensity. If the particles sizes differ by a factor of two or more, the composite particle has a larger particle at its core and several smaller particles form a ring around it. The number of particles in the ring and the spacing between the composite particles depend on their polarizabilities and the electric field intensity. Approximately same sized particles form chains (analogous to polymeric molecules) in which positively and negatively polarized particles alternate.

http://absimage.aps.org/image/DFD14/MWS_DFD14-2014-002292.pdf

S. Nudurupati

Papers

Electric field‐induced self‐assembly of micro‐ and nanoparticles of various shapes at two‐fluid interfaces

Electrohydrodynamics of yeast cells in microchannels subjected to travelling electric fields

Molecular-like hierarchical self-assembly of monolayers of mixtures of particles