Dynamic aspect of droplet microfluidics

Ioannis Kiratzis, PhD candidate (School of Chemical Engineering, University of Birmingham), presents the dynamic aspect of droplet microfluidics

“Droplet formation is encountered in natural, research and industrial settings. Emulsification requires the presence of surfactants but the short timescales of droplet formation create a dynamic environment that allows for the presence of Marangoni phenomena that impact the process. On the other hand the highly dynamic velocity fields that develop during droplet formation are important in the mixing and mass transport of reactive species in the case droplets are used as micro-reactors.”