Abstract

Deterministic lateral displacement (DLD) is a promising technology that allows for the continuous and the size-based separation of suspended particles at a high resolution through periodically arrayed micropillars. In conventional DLD, the critical diameter (Dc), which determines the migration mode of a particle of a particular size, is fixed by the device geometry. Here, we propose a novel DLD that uses the pillars of a thermo-responsive hydrogel, poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAM) to flexibly tune the Dc value. Upon heating and cooling, the PNIPAM pillars in the aqueous solution shrink and swell because of their hydrophobic-hydrophilic phase transitions as the temperature varies. Using the PNIPAM pillars confined in a poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchannel, we demonstrate continuous switching of particle (7-μm beads) trajectories (displacement or zigzag mode) by adjusting the Dc through temperature control of the device on a Peltier element. Further, we perform on/off operation of the particle separation (7-μm and 2-μm beads) by adjusting the Dc values.

Details

Title
Tunable deterministic lateral displacement of particles flowing through thermo-responsive hydrogel micropillar arrays
Author
Tottori, Naotomo 1 ; Nisisako, Takasi 2 

 Tokyo Institute of Technology, Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Engineering, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.32197.3e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2179 2105); Kyushu University, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Fukuoka, Japan (GRID:grid.177174.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 2242 4849) 
 Tokyo Institute of Technology, Laboratory for Future Interdisciplinary Research of Science and Technology (FIRST), Institute of Innovative Research, Yokohama, Japan (GRID:grid.32197.3e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2179 2105) 
Pages
4994
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2791456714
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.