A simple sheath-flow microfluidic device for micro/nanomanufacturing: fabrication of hydrodynamically shaped polymer fibers. Academic Article

abstract

• A simple sheath flow microfluidic device is used to fabricate polymer micro/nanofibers that have precisely controlled shapes and sizes. Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) was used as the model polymer for these experiments. The sheath-flow device uses straight diagonal and chevron-shaped grooves integrated in the top and bottom walls of the flow channel to move sheath fluid completely around the polymer stream. Portions of the sheath stream are deflected in such a way as to define the cross-sectional shape of the polymer core. The flow-rate ratio between the sheath and core solution determines the fiber diameter. Round PMMA fibers with a diameter as small as 300 nm and flattened fibers with a submicron thickness are demonstrated.

authors

• Ligler, Frances

published proceedings

• Lab Chip

altmetric score

• 3

author list (cited authors)

• Thangawng, A. L., Howell, P. B., Richards, J. J., Erickson, J. S., & Ligler, F. S.

citation count

• 75

complete list of authors

• Thangawng, Abel L||Howell, Peter B||Richards, Jeffrey J||Erickson, Jeffrey S||Ligler, Frances S

publication date

• November 2009

publisher

• Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)  Publisher

published in

• Lab on a Chip  Journal

keywords

• Equipment Design
• Microfluidic Analytical Techniques
• Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
• Nanofibers
• Polymethyl Methacrylate
• Surface Properties

PubMed Central ID

• 19823729

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

• 10.1039/b910581f

start page

• 3126

end page

• 3130

volume

• 9

issue

• 21

URL

• http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/b910581f