The authors used thermally induced surface tension gradients to manipulate aqueous droplets in microchannels. Control of the droplet breakup process was demonstrated. Droplet sorting can be achieved with temperatures above a critical value. Numerical simulation using a two-dimensional model agrees qualitatively well with the experimental results. The used control temperature of less than 55°C shows that this active control concept is suitable for biochemical applications. Thermal control promises to be a simple and effective manipulation method for droplet-based lab on a chip.

1.
L. E.
Scriven
and
C. V.
Sternling
,
Nature (London)
187
,
186
(
1960
).
2.
N. O.
Young
,
J. S.
Goldstein
, and
M. J.
Block
,
J. Fluid Mech.
6
,
350
(
1959
).
3.
O. A.
Basaran
,
AIChE J.
48
,
1842
(
2002
).
4.
S.
Okushima
,
T.
Nisisako
,
T.
Torii
, and
T.
Higuchi
,
Langmuir
20
,
9905
(
2004
).
5.
D.
Link
,
S. L.
Anna
,
D. A.
Weitz
, and
H. A.
Stone
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
92
,
054503
(
2004
).
6.
H.
Ren
,
R. B.
Fair
, and
M. G.
Pollack
,
Sens. Actuators, A
98
,
319
(
2004
).
7.
J.
Lee
,
H.
Moon
,
J.
Fowler
,
T.
Schoellhammer
, and
K.
C.-J
,
Sens. Actuators, A
95
,
259
(
2002
).
8.
P. R. C.
Gascoyne
,
J. V.
Vykoukal
,
J. A.
Schwartz
,
T. J.
Anderson
,
D. M.
Vykoukal
,
K. W.
Current
,
C.
McConaghy
,
F. F.
Becker
, and
C.
Andrews
,
Lab Chip
4
,
299
(
2004
).
9.
J. B.
Brozoska
,
F.
Brochard-Wyart
, and
F.
Rondelez
,
Langmuir
9
,
2220
(
1993
).
10.
A. A.
Darhuber
,
J. M.
Davis
, and
S. M.
Troian
,
Phys. Fluids
15
,
1295
(
2003
).
11.
Y. T.
Tseng
,
F. G.
Tseng
,
Y. F.
Cheng
, and
C. C.
Chieng
,
Sens. Actuators, A
114
,
292
(
2004
).
12.
R.
Suryo
and
O. A.
Basaran
,
Phys. Rev. Lett.
96
,
034504
(
2006
).
13.
D. R.
Link
,
E.
Grasland-Mongrain
,
A.
Duri
,
F.
Sarrazin
,
Z.
Cheng
,
G.
Cristobal
,
M.
Marquez
, and
D. A.
Weitz
,
Angew. Chem., Int. Ed.
45
,
2556
(
2006
).
14.
M. J.
Jensen
,
H. A.
Stone
, and
H.
Bruus
,
Phys. Fluids
18
,
077103
(
2006
).
15.
R.
Suryo
and
O. A.
Basaran
,
Phys. Fluids
18
,
082102
(
2006
).
16.
Y. F.
Yap
,
J. C.
Chai
,
T. N.
Wong
,
K. C.
Toh
, and
H. Y.
Zhang
,
Numer. Heat Transfer
79
,
12
(
1988
).
17.
J. U.
Brackbill
,
D. B.
Kothe
, and
C.
Zemach
,
J. Comput. Phys.
100
,
335
(
1992
).
18.
S. V.
Patankar
,
Numerical Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow
(
Hemisphere
,
New York
,
1980
).
You do not currently have access to this content.