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Photocontrol of fluid slugs in liquid crystal polymer microactuators

Author

Listed:
  • Jiu-an Lv

    (State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University)

  • Yuyun Liu

    (State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University)

  • Jia Wei

    (State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University)

  • Erqiang Chen

    (Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences, Key Laboratory of Polymer Chemistry and Physics of Ministry of Education, Peking University)

  • Lang Qin

    (State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University)

  • Yanlei Yu

    (State Key Laboratory of Molecular Engineering of Polymers, Fudan University)

Abstract

The manipulation of small amounts of liquids has applications ranging from biomedical devices to liquid transfer. Direct light-driven manipulation of liquids, especially when triggered by light-induced capillary forces, is of particular interest because light can provide contactless spatial and temporal control. However, existing light-driven technologies suffer from an inherent limitation in that liquid motion is strongly resisted by the effect of contact-line pinning. Here we report a strategy to manipulate fluid slugs by photo-induced asymmetric deformation of tubular microactuators, which induces capillary forces for liquid propulsion. Microactuators with various shapes (straight, ‘Y’-shaped, serpentine and helical) are fabricated from a mechanically robust linear liquid crystal polymer. These microactuators are able to exert photocontrol of a wide diversity of liquids over a long distance with controllable velocity and direction, and hence to mix multiphase liquids, to combine liquids and even to make liquids run uphill. We anticipate that this photodeformable microactuator will find use in micro-reactors, in laboratory-on-a-chip settings and in micro-optomechanical systems.

Suggested Citation

  • 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.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:537:y:2016:i:7619:d:10.1038_nature19344
    DOI: 10.1038/nature19344
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.

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