Digital Microfluidics = Digital Microfluidics = Electrowetting
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www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? Digital microfluidics (DMF) is a technique in which droplets are manipulated on an open surface by application of electromechanical forces. Sometimes, DMF is called “electrowetting” or “electrowetting-on-dielectric” (EWOD). This is misleadinggg, and we discourage its use! www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? For high surface tension liquids, an “electrowetting” effect is observed. We can think of this as pulling a droplet via a spring. high surface tension “electrowetting” driving driving potential potential coiled spring pull www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? For high surface tension liquids, an “electrowetting” effect is observed. We can think of this as pulling a droplet via a spring. water droplet moving right-to-left In fact, Fouillet and coworkers have collected beautiful images illustrating the “spring” phenomenon. Notice that the contact anggg,le changes first, -from Baviere et al., followed by droplet Microfluid Nanofluid movement. (2008) 4:287–294 www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? But for low surface tension liquids, little or no “electrowetting” effect observed. In the analogy, there is no spring (or the spring is already extended). low surface tension no “electrowetting” driving driving potential potential pull www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? In fact, simple modeling of qE forces acting on droplets with no shape change (i. e., no “electrowetting”) generates useful predictions about droplet movement . = ⋅nTF ds ∫S design 1 design 2 design 3 2 Tij = ε (Ei E j − 5.0 δ ij E ) experiment where Tij is the Maxwell stress tensor and can be derived from the Lorenz equation measured force e cc predicted force prediction d Actuation For ee -from Abdelgawad et al. Journal of Applied Physics, 2009, 105, 094506. Normaliz design 1 design 2 design 3 www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? Our opinion on “electrowetting” is not new. In 2002, T. B. Jones wrote: “Though often seen to occur together, the bulk electromechanical and electrowetting effects are distinct and can be expected to occur independently … the term ‘electrowetting’ should be restricted in its use to denote the effect of the electric field upon the contact angle.” -T. B. Jones, Langmuir 2002, 18, 4437-4443 We agree! Unfortunately, some in our field continue to refer to “electrowetting forces,” which is misleading to newcomers to the technique. www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? An analogy: would we call the process of shooting a projectile “to bang a gun ” ? bang pphhht silencer www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? An analogy: would we call the process of shooting a projectile “to bang a gun ” ? There are some applications for which “electrowetting” is important. But droplet manipulation is not one of them! Electrowetting is an important phenomenon for adjustable focal length lenses. But note that in such applications, high surface tension liquids like water must be used. http://www.varioptic.com www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? We are comfortable with all kinds of nomenclature for droplet manipulation, “Electromechanical droplet positioning,” “Electrodynamic droplet manipulation,” “Digital microfluidics,” etc. But please don’t call it “electrowetting”! Electrowetting www.chem.utoronto.ca/staff/WHEELER Digggital Microfluidics = Electrowettinggg? Three peer-reviewed review articles supporting this idea (i. e., electrowetting) Wheeler, Science 2008, 322, 539-540. Miller and Wheeler, Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2009, 393, 419-426. Abdelgawad and Wheeler Adv. Mater. 2009, 21, 920-925. Other references cited herein: Baviere et al., Microfluid. Nanofluid. 2008, 287–294. Abdelgawad et al. J. Appl. Phys., 2009, 105, 094506. Jones, Langmuir 2002, 18, 4437-4443 http://www.varioptic.com.