Control of movement and stability of liquid marbles toward development of lab-on-water system

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16H04207
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Polymer/Textile materials
• Research Institution: Osaka Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: FUJII Syuji 大阪工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (70434785)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 中村 吉伸 大阪工業大学, 工学部, 教授 (70298800) ; 眞山 博幸 旭川医科大学, 医学部, 准教授 (70360948)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: リキッドマーブル / 気液界面 / 物質輸送 / 光熱変換 / 吸着 / マランゴニ対流 / 導電性高分子 / 粉体

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Remotely controlling and powering the locomotion of liquid marbles (liquid droplets stabilized by solid particles adsorbed to air-liquid interface) by an irradiation of light has been realized in this project. The local light irradiation to the polymer particle-stabilized liquid marbles with photothermal property on a water surface induced Marangoni flow, which can work as a driving force. This approach makes it possible to not only transport the materials encapsulated within the liquid marble but also to release them at a specific place and time, as controlled by external stimuli. Furthermore, a lab-on-water system has been proposed, where mixing and releasing of liquids on the water surface via disruption of the liquid marbles can be conducted.

Free Research Field

高分子材料

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

機能物質のカプセル化が可能なリキッドマーブルを用い、物体の運動に、物質の「運搬」の概念を導入した点、および光照射によって遠隔からオンデマンドで運動のオン・オフおよび方向制御を可能にした点に学術的意義がある。また、光によって誘起された運動を利用して発電機を動かすことができると、現行の電気エネルギーを介する低エネルギー変換効率の太陽光発電とは異なる原理の高効率発電法の開発につながる可能性があり、エネルギー問題の解決に資する。