Controlling hierarchical structure of polymer materials through rapid phase transition within non-equilibrium droplets formed in microspace

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K04749
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 27010:Transport phenomena and unit operations-related
• Research Institution: Okayama University
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Takaichi 岡山大学, 環境生命自然科学学域, 研究准教授 (60743979)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: Droplet microfluidics / Phase separation / Multi-layer / Rattle / Bicontinuous / Porous / Flow process

Outline of Final Research Achievements

When fast solvent transfer is induced inside or outside a multi-component droplet flowing in a microfluidic channel, a non-equilibrium state is induced in which sequential phase separation and polymer precipitation occur simultaneously in the droplet, and particles with various hierarchical structures, such as rattle-shaped structures or bicontinuous structures, which are difficult to form in a fractional reactor, are continuously generated. However, the formation mechanism and control method of these hierarchical structures have not been elucidated. In this study, we investigated the factors that induce non-equilibrium phase transitions in multicomponent droplets in microfluidic channels and developed a method for designing new structures.

Free Research Field

化学工学，高分子微粒子，ソフトマテリアル，マイクロフロープロセス

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年，世界各国で「少量多品種生産」の技術開発が進められている。高分子微粒子についてもフロー合成技術の開発が進められているが，複雑な構造を形成するためには多段階の製造プロセスが必要である。本研究で開発した技術は，多層構造や多孔質微粒子を2液の混合だけで形成できるものであり，製造プロセスの簡略化を実現可能な要素技術である。本技術で調製される複雑な構造の微粒子は，高機能な薬物輸送担体やバイオ医薬品の分離材料として応用が期待される。