A droplet robotic system enabled by electret-induced polarization on droplet

Zhang, Ruotong1; Zhang, Chengzhi1,2; Fan, Xiaoxue1; Au Yeung, Christina C. K.1,3; Li, Huiyanchen3; Lin, Haisong1,3; Shum, Ho Cheung1,3

2024-07-23

10.1038/s41467-024-50520-9

NATURE COMMUNICATIONS   影响因子和分区

2041-1723

["Robotics for scientific research are evolving from grasping macro-scale solid materials to directly actuating micro-scale liquid samples. However, current liquid actuation mechanisms often restrict operable liquid types or compromise the activity of biochemical samples by introducing interfering mediums. Here, we propose a robotic liquid handling system enabled by a novel droplet actuation mechanism, termed electret-induced polarization on droplet (EPD). EPD enables all-liquid actuation in principle and experimentally exhibits generality for actuating various inorganic/organic liquids with relative permittivity ranging from 2.25 to 84.2 and volume from 500 nL to 1 mL. Moreover, EPD is capable of actuating various biochemical samples without compromising their activities, including various body fluids, living cells, and proteins. A robotic system is also coupled with the EPD mechanism to enable full automation. EPD's high adaptability with liquid types and biochemical samples thus promotes the automation of liquid-based scientific experiments across multiple disciplines.","Current liquid actuation mechanisms are limited to specific liquid types or risk compromising biochemical samples with interfering mediums. Here, the authors introduce electret-induced polarization on droplets (EPD), a method that enables all-liquid actuation and demonstrates generality for various inorganic/organic liquids and biochemical samples."]

SCI

英语

其他

General Research Fund (Nos.17307919, 17303123) from the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong. The Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macau) (21922816) from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC).[17208623] ; Research Grants Council of Hong Kong[21922816] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)[32201181]

Science & Technology - Other Topics

Multidisciplinary Sciences

WOS:001275549300025

NATURE PORTFOLIO

Web of Science

1.Univ Hong Kong, Dept Mech Engn, Hong Kong, Peoples R China
2.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Dept Mat Sci & Engn, Shenzhen, Guangdong, Peoples R China
3.Hong Kong Sci Pk, Adv Biomed Instrumentat Ctr, Hong Kong, Peoples R China

Zhang, Ruotong,Zhang, Chengzhi,Fan, Xiaoxue,et al. A droplet robotic system enabled by electret-induced polarization on droplet[J]. NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,2024,15(1).

Zhang, Ruotong.,Zhang, Chengzhi.,Fan, Xiaoxue.,Au Yeung, Christina C. K..,Li, Huiyanchen.,...&Shum, Ho Cheung.(2024).A droplet robotic system enabled by electret-induced polarization on droplet.NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,15(1).

Zhang, Ruotong,et al."A droplet robotic system enabled by electret-induced polarization on droplet".NATURE COMMUNICATIONS 15.1(2024).