Droplets, Membranes and Interfaces, MPI for Dynamics and Self-organization, Am Fassberg 17, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.
Lab Chip. 2012 Feb 7;12(3):422-33. doi: 10.1039/c1lc20582j. Epub 2011 Oct 20.
Surfactants are an essential part of the droplet-based microfluidic technology. They are involved in the stabilization of droplet interfaces, in the biocompatibility of the system and in the process of molecular exchange between droplets. The recent progress in the applications of droplet-based microfluidics has been made possible by the development of new molecules and their characterizations. In this review, the role of the surfactant in droplet-based microfluidics is discussed with an emphasis on the new molecules developed specifically to overcome the limitations of 'standard' surfactants. Emulsion properties and interfacial rheology of surfactant-laden layers strongly determine the overall capabilities of the technology. Dynamic properties of droplets, interfaces and emulsions are therefore very important to be characterized, understood and controlled. In this respect, microfluidic systems themselves appear to be very powerful tools for the study of surfactant dynamics at the time- and length-scale relevant to the corresponding microfluidic applications. More generally, microfluidic systems are becoming a new type of experimental platform for the study of the dynamics of interfaces in complex systems.
表面活性剂是基于液滴的微流控技术的重要组成部分。它们参与液滴界面的稳定化、系统的生物相容性以及液滴之间分子交换的过程。基于液滴的微流控技术的最新应用进展得益于新分子的开发及其特性的研究。在本文综述中，重点讨论了表面活性剂在基于液滴的微流控技术中的作用，特别是开发了专门克服“标准”表面活性剂局限性的新分子。负载表面活性剂的层的乳液性质和界面流变学强烈决定了该技术的整体性能。因此，液滴、界面和乳液的动态性质对于进行表征、理解和控制非常重要。在这方面，微流控系统本身似乎是研究与相应微流控应用相关的时间和长度尺度下表面活性剂动力学的非常有力的工具。更一般地说，微流控系统正在成为研究复杂体系中界面动力学的新型实验平台。
