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Enhancement of electrokinetically driven microfluidic T‐mixer using frequency modulated electric field and channel geometry effects
Author(s) -
Yan Deguang,
Yang Chun,
Miao Jianmin,
Lam Yeecheong,
Huang Xiaoyang
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/elps.200900162
Subject(s) - electrokinetic phenomena , microfluidics , mixing (physics) , electric field , velocimetry , particle image velocimetry , materials science , micromixer , rhodamine b , analytical chemistry (journal) , optics , nanotechnology , chemistry , mechanics , physics , turbulence , chromatography , biochemistry , photocatalysis , catalysis , quantum mechanics
Abstract This study reports improved electrokinetically driven microfluidic T‐mixers to enhance their mixing efficiency. Enhancement of electrokinetic microfluidic T‐mixers is achieved using (i) an active approach of utilizing a pulsating EOF, and (ii) a passive approach of using the channel geometry effect with patterned blocks. PDMS‐based electrokinetic T‐mixers of different designs were fabricated. Experimental measurements were carried out using Rhodamine B to examine the mixing performance and the micro‐particle image velocimetry technique to characterize the electrokinetic flow velocity field. Scaling analysis provides an effective frequency range of applied AC electric field. Results show that for a T‐mixer of 10 mm mixing length, utilizing frequency modulated electric field and channel geometry effects can increase the mixing efficiency from 50 to 90%. In addition, numerical simulations were performed to analyze the mixing process in the electrokinetic T‐mixers with various designs. The simulation results were compared with the experimental data, and reasonable agreement was found.