Pulsation of electrified jet in capillary microfluidics

Xiong Li; Shanshan Wei; Liucheng Chen; Gang Qu; Huisheng Zhang; Zhou Liu; Liqiu Wang; Tiantian Kong; Tianfu Wang

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-05477-9

Scientific Reports (Jul 2017)

Pulsation of electrified jet in capillary microfluidics

Xiong Li,
Shanshan Wei,
Liucheng Chen,
Gang Qu,
Huisheng Zhang,
Zhou Liu,
Liqiu Wang,
Tiantian Kong,
Tianfu Wang

Affiliations

Xiong Li: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University
Shanshan Wei: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University
Liucheng Chen: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University
Gang Qu: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University
Huisheng Zhang: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University
Zhou Liu: College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Shenzhen University
Liqiu Wang: Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong
Tiantian Kong: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University
Tianfu Wang: Guangdong Key Laboratory for Biomedical Measurements and Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-05477-9
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 7, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Abstract In this work, we investigate the pulsation of an electrically charged jet surrounded by an immiscible dielectric liquid in flow-focusing capillary microfluidics. We have characterized a low-frequency large-amplitude pulsation and a high-frequency small-amplitude pulsation, respectively. The former, due to the unbalanced charge and fluid transportation is responsible for generating droplets with a broad size distribution. The latter is intrinsic and produces droplets with a relatively narrow size distribution. Moreover, the average size of the final droplets can be tuned via the intrinsic pulsating frequency through changing the diameter of the emitted liquid jet. Our results provide degree of control over the emulsion droplets with submicron sizes generated in microfluidic-electrospray platform.

Published in Scientific Reports

ISSN: 2045-2322 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine; Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/srep/

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