Coalescence control using electric fields

Publication in Nature Communications

2022/01/13

Controlling droplet coalescence is an important requirement in microfluidics. In this context, “controlling” often means avoiding the undesired coalescence of droplets. One possibility is to use surfactants, but these are disadvantageous in a number of applications. CRC members Steffen Hardt and Johannes Hartmann, together with a colleague from their Nano- and Microfluidics group, have shown how it can be done without: they placed the droplets in a homogeneous electric field. The electric field redistributes charges in such a way that a repulsive force is created between two neighbouring droplets.