Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
Adv Mater. 2017 Oct;29(38). doi: 10.1002/adma.201702894. Epub 2017 Aug 15.
This paper describes electrically-activated fluidic valves that operate based on electrowetting through textiles. The valves are fabricated from electrically conductive, insulated, hydrophobic textiles, but the concept can be extended to other porous materials. When the valve is closed, the liquid cannot pass through the hydrophobic textile. Upon application of a potential (in the range of 100-1000 V) between the textile and the liquid, the valve opens and the liquid penetrates the textile. These valves actuate in less than 1 s, require low energy (≈27 µJ per actuation), and work with a variety of aqueous solutions, including those with low surface tension and those containing bioanalytes. They are bistable in function, and are, in a sense, the electrofluidic analog of thyristors. They can be integrated into paper microfluidic devices to make circuits that are capable of controlling liquid, including autonomous fluidic timers and fluidic logic.
本文介绍了基于电润湿原理通过纺织品实现电激活的流体阀。这些阀由导电、绝缘、疏水的纺织品制成，但该概念可以扩展到其他多孔材料。当阀关闭时，液体无法通过疏水纺织品。当在纺织品和液体之间施加电压（100-1000 V 范围内）时，阀打开，液体渗透纺织品。这些阀的响应时间小于 1 秒，能耗低（每次动作约 27 µJ），可与各种水溶液配合使用，包括表面张力低和含有生物分析物的溶液。它们具有双稳功能，在某种意义上是晶闸管的电控流体模拟。它们可以集成到纸基微流控器件中，以制作能够控制液体的电路，包括自主流体定时和流体逻辑。
