Research Program on Developing Modulated Droplet Microfluidic Systems Towards Robust Nanomaterial Synthesis

开发调制液滴微流体系统以实现稳健纳米材料合成的研究计划

• 批准号: RGPIN-2018-04151
• 负责人: Ren, Carolyn
• 金额: $ 4.01万
• 依托单位: University of Waterloo
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=710144
• 关键词: Research; Program; Developing; Modulated; Droplet

Health and well-being, sustainable energy, and environmental assessment and protection are among the most important challenges facing today's society, underscoring the urgent need for advanced materials research. In the past two decades, global investment in research that will lead to novel nanomaterials with new functionalities has increased dramatically to meet this need. However, most currently used batch-scale systems still suffer from large size distribution and batch-to-batch variations due to operational uncertainties, low throughput and limited capability for tuning the properties of nanomaterials. Many studies have suggested breakthroughs can be made via robust single (bio)particle analysis (SPA), which calls for the availability of ultra-small, individually addressable reaction vesicles. Droplet microfluidics (DM) holds tremendous potential to meet this critical need because monodispersed droplets, picoliter (pL) to nanoliter (nL) in size, can be generated at kHz rates in microfluidic channel networks by injecting one fluid (i.e. water) into another immiscible one (oil) which addresses the low throughput issue. With well controlled surface properties, these ultra-small droplets are fully encapsulated by the carrier fluid minimizing cross contamination. These features make DM an ideal system for SPA and thus robust nanomaterial synthesis. In this broad translational research program, we will investigate the fundamental limitations of DM as an enabling system for SPA and then develop modulated systems integrated with robust, automated active manipulation, sensing and heating of individual droplets to provide individually addressable reaction vesicles for SPA towards nanomaterial synthesis and manufacturing. Specifically, we will develop a novel strategy that utilizes computer vision feedback to actuate the pressures applied to the fluid to manipulate individual droplets in a robust, automated manner without further complicating the system hardware. We will also investigate the fundamentals of microwave sensing and heating of individual droplets and their multiplexing capacity, meaning the integration of multiple sensors and heaters on a typical microfluidic device footprint, and then integrate these functions into modulated systems by developing valves enabling plug-and-play operation to generalize their applications to a wide variety of areas such as synthesis and manufacturing of nanomaterials, drug screening, life science research and environmental assessment and protection.

健康和福祉、可持续能源以及环境评估和保护是当今社会面临的最重要挑战之一，凸显了对先进材料研究的迫切需要。在过去的二十年中，全球对具有新功能的新型纳米材料的研究投资大幅增加，以满足这一需求。然而，由于操作的不确定性、低通量和调整纳米材料性能的能力有限，目前使用的大多数批量规模系统仍然面临大尺寸分布和批次间差异的问题。许多研究表明，通过强大的单（生物）颗粒分析（SPA）可以取得突破，这需要超小的、可单独寻址的反应囊泡。液滴微流体 (DM) 在满足这一关键需求方面具有巨大的潜力，因为通过将一种流体（即水）注入另一种不混溶的流体中，可以在微流体通道网络中以 kHz 速率生成尺寸为皮升 (pL) 到纳升 (nL) 的单分散液滴。一种（石油）解决低吞吐量问题。凭借良好控制的表面特性，这些超小液滴被载液完全封装，最大限度地减少交叉污染。这些特性使 DM 成为 SPA 的理想系统，从而实现稳健的纳米材料合成。 在这个广泛的转化研究计划中，我们将研究 DM 作为 SPA 使能系统的基本局限性，然后开发与单个液滴的稳健、自动主动操纵、传感和加热相集成的调制系统，为 SPA 向纳米材料提供可单独寻址的反应囊泡合成和制造。具体来说，我们将开发一种新颖的策略，利用计算机视觉反馈来驱动施加到流体上的压力，以稳健、自动化的方式操纵单个液滴，而无需进一步使系统硬件复杂化。我们还将研究微波传感和单个液滴加热的基础原理及其复用能力，这意味着在典型的微流体设备占地面积上集成多个传感器和加热器，然后通过开发支持即插即用的阀门将这些功能集成到调制系统中。发挥操作，将其应用推广到纳米材料的合成和制造、药物筛选、生命科学研究以及环境评估和保护等广泛领域。