IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v14y2023i1d10.1038_s41467-023-37445-5.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Light-driven peristaltic pumping by an actuating splay-bend strip

Author

Listed:
  • Klaudia Dradrach

    (University of Cambridge
    University of Warsaw)

  • Michał Zmyślony

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Zixuan Deng

    (Tampere University)

  • Arri Priimagi

    (Tampere University)

  • John Biggins

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Piotr Wasylczyk

    (University of Warsaw)

Abstract

Despite spectacular progress in microfluidics, small-scale liquid manipulation, with few exceptions, is still driven by external pumps and controlled by large-scale valves, increasing cost and size and limiting complexity. By contrast, optofluidics uses light to power, control and monitor liquid manipulation, potentially allowing for small, self-contained microfluidic devices. Here we demonstrate a soft light-propelled actuator made of liquid crystal gel that pumps microlitre volumes of water. The strip of actuating material serves as both a pump and a channel leading to an extremely simple microfluidic architecture that is both powered and controlled by light. The performance of the pump is well explained by a simple theoretical model in which the light-induced bending of the actuator competes with the liquid’s surface tension. The theory highlights that effective pumping requires a threshold light intensity and strip width. The proposed system explores the benefits of shifting the complexity of microfluidic systems from the fabricated device to spatio-temporal control over stimulating light patterns.

Suggested Citation

  • Klaudia Dradrach & Michał Zmyślony & Zixuan Deng & Arri Priimagi & John Biggins & Piotr Wasylczyk, 2023. "Light-driven peristaltic pumping by an actuating splay-bend strip," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-37445-5
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37445-5
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37445-5
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-023-37445-5?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jiu-an Lv & Yuyun Liu & Jia Wei & Erqiang Chen & Lang Qin & Yanlei Yu, 2016. "Photocontrol of fluid slugs in liquid crystal polymer microactuators," Nature, Nature, vol. 537(7619), pages 179-184, September.
    2. Tyler Guin & Michael J. Settle & Benjamin A. Kowalski & Anesia D. Auguste & Richard V. Beblo & Gregory W. Reich & Timothy J. White, 2018. "Layered liquid crystal elastomer actuators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-7, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yue Zhang & Kangkang Liu & Tao Liu & Chujun Ni & Di Chen & Jiamei Guo & Chang Liu & Jian Zhou & Zheng Jia & Qian Zhao & Pengju Pan & Tao Xie, 2021. "Differential diffusion driven far-from-equilibrium shape-shifting of hydrogels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Sitong Li & Rui Zhang & Guanghao Zhang & Luyizheng Shuai & Wang Chang & Xiaoyu Hu & Min Zou & Xiang Zhou & Baigang An & Dong Qian & Zunfeng Liu, 2022. "Microfluidic manipulation by spiral hollow-fibre actuators," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. Qingrui Wang & Xiaoyong Tian & Daokang Zhang & Yanli Zhou & Wanquan Yan & Dichen Li, 2023. "Programmable spatial deformation by controllable off-center freestanding 4D printing of continuous fiber reinforced liquid crystal elastomer composites," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    4. Yu Cang & Jiaqi Liu & Meguya Ryu & Bartlomiej Graczykowski & Junko Morikawa & Shu Yang & George Fytas, 2022. "On the origin of elasticity and heat conduction anisotropy of liquid crystal elastomers at gigahertz frequencies," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-12, December.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-37445-5. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.