Creation of autonomous microfluidic processors

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18840
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 27:Chemical engineering and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Hiroaki 筑波大学, 数理物質系, 教授 (20282337)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: マイクルフルイディクス / 自立的送液制御 / 毛細管現象 / 電気化学 / ポリピロールバルブ / 亜鉛 / 微小櫛型電極 / 水素

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Microfluidic devices to realize autonomous solution transport were fabricated. In realizing sophisticated autonomous microfluidic devices, it is effective to use modular structures. In a type of device, movement of solutions by capillary action was controlled using a hydrophobic patch valve that changes its wettability upon the application of a potential. The valve was formed by electropolymerizing pyrrole in the presence of a surfactant. The potential was applied by injecting an electrolyte solution into a control flow channel and wetting a zinc electrode formed there and connected to the patch valve in the main flow channel. In another type of device, hydrogen bubbles produced and shrunk on platinum black interdigitated electrodes were used to move a solution in a flow channel forward and backward. The bubbles were produced by coupling the reaction with the oxidation of zinc in a control flow channel and were shrunk by coupling the reaction with the reduction of silver ions.

Free Research Field

マイクロフルイディクス、電気化学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

微小なチップ上で化学分析を行う微小化学分析システム(μTAS)や化学実験室を微小なチップ上に実現するLab-on-a-Chipの研究開発が活発に進められている。ここでは、μL～pLの微量の溶液の定量、移動、混合等の操作が必要となるが、現状では、これらの操作はマイクロシリンジポンプ等の装置を用いて行われている。ここで、これらの操作をチップ上の構成要素だけで自立的に行うことができれば、μTASの高度化が実現される。また、現在研究が活発化しつつあるソフトロボットを駆動させるためのマイクロフルイディクプロセッサを実現させるための基礎となりうる。