Issue 11, 2021

Microfluidic formation of crystal-like structures

Abstract

Crystal-like structures find application in several fields ranging from biomedical engineering to material science. For instance, droplet crystals are critical for high throughput assays and material synthesis, while particle crystals are important for particles and cell encapsulation, Drop-seq technologies, and single-cell analysis. Formation of crystal-like structures relies entirely on the possibility of manipulating with great accuracy the micrometer-size objects forming the crystal. In this context, microfluidic devices offer versatile tools for the precise manipulation of droplets and particles, thus enabling fabrication of crystal-like structures that form due to hydrodynamic interactions among droplets or particles. In this review, we aim at providing an holistic representation of crystal-like structure formation mediated by hydrodynamic interactions in microfluidic devices. We also discuss the physical origin of these hydrodynamic interactions and their relation to parameters such as device geometry, fluid properties, and flow conditions.

Graphical abstract: Microfluidic formation of crystal-like structures

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
23 Feb 2021
Accepted
11 May 2021
First published
14 May 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY license

Lab Chip, 2021,21, 2069-2094

Microfluidic formation of crystal-like structures

F. Del Giudice, G. D'Avino and P. L. Maffettone, Lab Chip, 2021, 21, 2069 DOI: 10.1039/D1LC00144B

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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