Microfluidics Enabled Soft Manufacture

This book covers state-of-the-art development in microfluidics-enabled soft manufacturing (MESM), ranging from fundamentals to applications. The book addresses the long-standing challenge in the manufacture of simultaneously achieving both precise control over nano-/micro-scale structures and large-scale fabrication of materials for pragmatic use, with microfluidics-enabled soft manufacture to fill the gap between the widely-varied length scales involved. It offers a comprehensive insight into the microfluidic generation of fluid systems as liquid templates, such as droplets, bubbles, jets, emulsions, and foams, which are categorized into individual templates, one-dimensional arrays, and two-/three-dimensional assemblies for the modular fabrication of microparticles, microfibers, and porous materials, respectively. MESM enriches the compositional and structural diversity of engineered materials for well-tailored properties and functionalities, markedly broadening the application horizons across interdisciplinary fields, including engineering, environment, physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. This book aims to systematize this emerging yet versatile and powerful technology, with the hope of aiding the realization of its full potential. Microfluidics-Enabled Soft Manufacture will be an invaluable reference for graduate students, postgraduates, researchers, and practitioners/professionals working in micro and nanofabrication, materials science, surface science, fluid dynamics, and engineering.

A comprehensive and systematic treatment of our current understanding of the microfluidic technique and its advantages in the controllable fabrication of advanced functional polymeric materials. Introducing and summarizing recent advances and achievements in the field, the authors cover the design and fabrication of microfluidic devices, the fundamentals and strategies for controllable microfluidic generation of multiphase liquid systems, and the use of these liquid systems with an elaborate combination of their structures and compositions for generating novel polymer materials, such as microcapsules, microfibers, valves, and membranes. Clear diagrams and illustrations throughout the text make the relevant theory and technologies more readily accessible. The result is a specialist reference for materials scientists, organic, polymer and physical chemists, and chemical engineers.

Providing a definitive source of knowledge about the principles, materials, and process techniques used in the fabrication of microfluidics, this practical volume is a must for your reference shelf. The book focuses on fabrication, but also covers the basic purpose, benefits, and limitations of the fabricated structures as they are applied to microfluidic sensor and actuator functions. You find guidance on rapidly assessing options and tradeoffs for the selection of a fabrication method with clear tabulated process comparisons.

This comprehensive handbook presents fundamental aspects, fabrication techniques, introductory materials on microbiology and chemistry, measurement techniques, and applications of microfluidics and nanofluidics. The second volume focuses on topics related to experimental and numerical methods. It also covers fabrication and applications in a variety of areas, from aerospace to biological systems. Reflecting the inherent nature of microfluidics and nanofluidics, the book includes as much interdisciplinary knowledge as possible. It provides the fundamental science background for newcomers and advanced techniques and concepts for experienced researchers and professionals.

The first book offering a global overview of fundamental microfluidics and the wide range of possible applications, for example, in chemistry, biology, and biomedical science. As such, it summarizes recent progress in microfluidics, including its origin and development, the theoretical fundamentals, and fabrication techniques for microfluidic devices. The book also comprehensively covers the fluid mechanics, physics and chemistry as well as applications in such different fields as detection and synthesis of inorganic and organic materials. A useful reference for non-specialists and a basic guideline for research scientists and technicians already active in this field or intending to work in microfluidics.

Microfluidics for Biological Applications provides researchers and scientists in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and life science industries with an introduction to the basics of microfluidics and also discusses how to link these technologies to various biological applications at the industrial and academic level. Readers will gain insight into a wide variety of biological applications for microfluidics. The material presented here is divided into four parts, Part I gives perspective on the history and development of microfluidic technologies, Part II presents overviews on how microfluidic systems have been used to study and manipulate specific classes of components, Part III focuses on specific biological applications of microfluidics: biodefense, diagnostics, high throughput screening, and tissue engineering and finally Part IV concludes with a discussion of emerging trends in the microfluidics field and the current challenges to the growth and continuing success of the field.

Increasing innovations and applications make microfluidics a versatile choice for researchers in many disciplines. This book consists of multiple review chapters that aim to cover recent advances and new applications of microfluidics in biology, electronics, energy, and materials sciences. It provides comprehensive views of various aspects of microfluidics ranging from fundamentals of fabrication, flow control, and droplet manipulation to the most recent exploration in emerging areas such as material synthesis, imaging and novel spectroscopy, and marriage with electronics. The chapters have many illustrations showcasing exciting results. This book should be useful for those who are eager to learn more about microfluidics as well as researchers who want to pick up new concepts and developments in this fast-growing field.

Advances in Microfluidics provides a current snapshot of the field of microfluidics as it relates to a variety of sub-disciplines. The chapters have been divided into three sections: Fluid Dynamics, Technology, and Applications, although a number of the chapters contain aspects that make them applicable to more than one section. It is hoped that this book will serve as a useful resource for recent entrants to the field as well as for established practitioners.